Myrtaceae
How to identify a strawberry guava tree
Psidium cattleyanum · also called cattley guava
Small, round, red (or yellow, in the 'lemon guava' form) fruit with a sweet-tart flavor reminiscent of strawberry. More cold-hardy than common guava, but flagged as invasive in several tropical island ecosystems including Hawaii.
Field marks
These features are typical of the genus Psidium, so they help confirm you are looking at the right group; the fruit and the details below separate the species.
- Leaves are opposite. Common guava has deeply impressed, parallel side veins; strawberry guava's leaves are smaller, glossier and smoother.
- The bark is usually smooth and flakes off in thin patches, showing paler bark underneath.
- Crushed leaves are aromatic.
Check a photo
Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If strawberry guava is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.
Leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark — closer and sharper identifies better. Your photo is identified and discarded, never stored.
Where and when you will find it
- Origin / cultivation history
- Brazil
- USDA zones
- 9-11
- Climate
- Subtropical to tropical — notably more cold-tolerant than common guava.
- Fruiting season
- July, August and September (typical, Northern Hemisphere)
- How often grown
- Widely grown
Fruit is the most reliable way to confirm an identification, so July, August and September is the easiest window. Outside it, rely on the leaves and the overall habit. A tree growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.
Growing it: seedling or grafted?
A young tree with no fruit is harder to identify and easy to mislabel, so it helps to know how long it takes to reach fruiting age and how it is usually propagated.
- Years to first fruit
- Seedling 2-4 yrs
- Propagation
- Seed, cuttings.
Relatives in the Myrtaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
- JaboticabaPlinia cauliflora
- Suriname cherryEugenia uniflora
- GrumichamaEugenia brasiliensis
- PitangatubaEugenia neonitida
- GuavaPsidium guajava
- Camu camuMyrciaria dubia
- Wax appleSyzygium samarangense
- Malay appleSyzygium malaccense
Map your strawberry guava trees
CanopyTwin keeps every tree on a map with its species, cultivar, photos and history, and counts flowers and fruit from survey photos. It is built for orchards, nurseries and collectors of tropical and rare fruit.
More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides