Myrtaceae
How to identify a guava tree
Psidium guajava · also called guayaba (Spanish), ổi (Vietnamese), ฝรั่ง / farang (Thai)
Aromatic, thin-skinned fruit with flesh from white to deep pink depending on cultivar, high in vitamin C. Easy, fast, and prolific — in some tropical island ecosystems prolific enough to be considered invasive.
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 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
- Tropical Americas
- USDA zones
- 9b-11
- Climate
- Tropical to subtropical, very adaptable, drought- and marginal-soil tolerant; can naturalize aggressively.
- Fruiting season
- Season not documented; check local sources
- How often grown
- Widely grown
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, grafting for named cultivars.
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
- Strawberry guavaPsidium cattleyanum
- Camu camuMyrciaria dubia
- Wax appleSyzygium samarangense
- Malay appleSyzygium malaccense
Map your 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