Guava is actually a popular tropical fruit which is rich in important nutrients. Because of its unique flavor, taste, and health-promoting features, the fruit easily fits into the category of new functional foods, often labeled as “super-fruits.” Different cultivar types of guava grown all over the world which may vary widely in flavor, pulp color, and seed composition. Guava starts to produce fruit 2 to 8 years after planting. Fruit has strong, lemon-like musky odor. Rind can be bitter or sweet, while flesh has creamy texture and sweet-tart taste. Under the optimal climate conditions, guava produces fruit two times per year. Guava is perennial plant that usually lives around 40 years.
| Name | Guava |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Psidium guajava |
| Native | Southern Mexico into Central America. |
| Common/English Name | Apple Guava, Guava, Pear Guava, Round Guava, Tropical Guava |
| Name in Other Languages | Papiamento : Guyaba Afrikaans : Koejawel Czech : Kvajava Hruškovitá Arabic : Guwâfah Baydâ Yapese : Abas Ghana : Aduaba Aztec : Xoxococuahuitl Belize : Coloc, Pata Nepalese : Amaruud West Africa : Guyab Bolivia : Chuará-Catoco Thai : Farang (Central ) Fijian : Ngguava Brunei : Biyabas Russian : Guaiava Guatemala : Cac ( Poconchí ) Cacchi : Ikíec India : Madhuram Carolinian : Abwas Spanish : Apas I-Kiribati : Te Kuava Chinese : Fan Shi Liu Kosraean : Kuhfahfah Chuukese : Kuafa German : Echte Guave Ixil : Ch’amxuy Croatian : Guava Pakistan : Amrood Ka Beech Dominican Republic : Guayaba Común Huasa : Gûway Bâ Pohnpeian : Guahva Dutch : Goeajaaba Tanzania : Mpera Eastonian : Harilik Guajaavipuu Argentina : Arazá Finnish : Guava Banaban : Te Kuao French : Gouyave Canary Island : Piac Greek : Guava Quecchí : Patá Nauruan : Kuwawa Burmese : Malakapen Guam : Abas Bulgaria : Гуaвa Guinea : Kùáv e ilin^G ( Kissi ) Hawaiian : Kuawa Serbia : Gua German : Echte Guave Brazil : Araca Haiti : Gwayav Palauan : Guabang French Polynesia : Tu’avu Hebrew : Guyava Mexico : Ñi-Joh Costa Rica : Guayaba Hungarian : Guáva Rotuman : Kuava Icelandic : Gúavaber Chamorro : Abas Venezuela : Guayaba Rakahanga-Manihiki : Tuava Indonesia : Boyawat Puerto Rico : Guaba Tuvaluan : Ku‘Ava Italian : Guava Cook Islands : Tū‘Ava Khmer : Tokal Laotian : Si Da Tongan : Kuava Lithuanian : Gvajava Philippines : Bayauas Nāhuatl : Chalxócotl Columbia : Cuayabo Dulce Suriname : Guava Chile : Hurapo Netherlands Antilles : Goeajaaba Seychelles : Gouyav West Indies : Guayaba Nigeria : Woba Guinea-Bissau : Guaiaba ( Crioulo ) Panama : Mulu Tongarevan : Tūava Peru : Bimpish Saipan : Abas Vietnamese : Oi Polish : Gujawa Cuba : Guaba Portuguese : Gayaba Swedish : Guava Malaysia : Biyawas Romanian : Guava Ecuador : Sampi Samoan : Ku‘Ava Japanese : Banjirou Niuean : Kautoga Senegal : Guayaba Danish : Almindelig Guava Yoruba : Guafa Slovak : Guava Sri Lanka : Koiya Mali : Biaki Tahitian : Tūava Norwegian : Guava Turkish : Guava Pukapukan : Tuava Slovašcina : Guava Nicaragua : Guayaba |
| Plant Growth Habit | Evergreen, tropical shrub or low-growing small tree |
| Growing Climate | Thrives in areas with a tropical or equatorial climate. It also grows well in the warm, sub-arid, savannah areas as it is quite drought tolerant but adequate irrigation is required for good growth and high yields. |
| Soil | Tolerate many soil conditions, but will produce better in rich soils high in organic matter. They also prefer a well-drained soil. The tree will take temporary waterlogging but will not tolerate salty soils. |
| Plant Size | 8–10 m high |
| Bark | Smooth grayish brown bark |
| Leaf | Opposite, ovate-elliptic or oblong elliptic, acute-acuminate, pubescent beneath, rough adaxially, prominent midrib impressed, lateral nerves 10–20 pairs; blades mostly 7–15 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, rounded at base, apex acute to obtuse, dull green. |
| Flower | Fragrant, white, large, 2.5 cm across, solitary or 2 or 3 in axillary cymes. Peduncle 1–2 cm long, pubescent. calyx 4–5-lobed, 6–8 mm long, persistent on fruit; petals white, 10–15 mm long, fugacious, usually 4 or 5, obovate, slightly concave; stamens numerous (200–250), white, about as long as petals with pale yellowish anthers; style 10–12 mm long, stigma peltate. |
| Fruit Shape & Size | Globose, ovoid, or pyriform, 3–10 cm long |
| Fruit Color | Green turning to whitish-yellow or faintly pink when ripe |
| Fruit Weight | Around 50–200 g. |
| Flesh Color | Can be white, yellow, pink or red colored depending on the varieties. |
| Flavor/Aroma | Strong, sweet musky aroma |
| Taste | Sweet-tart taste. |
| Seed | Numerous tiny, yellowish, reniform, semi-hard edible seeds, concentrated especially at its center. Some varieties are seedless. |
| Varieties/Types |
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| Major Nutrition | Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) 376.7 mg (418.56%) Lycopene 8587 µg (171.74%) Copper, Cu 0.38 mg (42.22%) Total dietary Fiber 8.9 g (23.42%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 81 µg (20.25%) Carbohydrate 23.63 g (18.18%) Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) 0.744 mg (14.88%) Potassium, K 688 mg (14.64%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.182 mg (14.00%) Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1.789 mg (11.18%) Manganese, Mn 0.248 mg (10.78%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in 1 cup (165 gm) | 112 K cal |