Glorious guava: more giving than the giving tree

I came home from work the other day to see my aunties pruning our guava plants, and while they were being extremely attentive to giving the trees the best trimming possible, I could see their mouths were distracted.

I looked around for food, but couldn’t see any: “What are you chewing?”

“Oh, just some guava leaves.”

Now, I take pride in my knowledge of trivia about the weird and wonderful parts of the edible plants I grow, but I never knew you could eat guava leaves.

I learned that if you don’t have a toothbrush then chewing on guava leaves does the job, and the leaves also make an excellent if slightly sour herbal tea, albeit a little astringent from the saponins. Miraculously, it has been used as a remedy for both diarrhoea and constipation in the Ayurvedic tradition.

It is common knowledge among Thais of a certain generation that guava leaves have an anti-inflammatory benefit along with a slew of other health assets. Much of it had been based on folk remedies, though that has now been backed up by science.

The fruit itself is a good source of dietary fibre, and it’s rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and for most of my life I’ve snacked on the Thai white variety, underripe and dipped in a sugar, chilli and salt concoction. It never occurred to me this fruit was a powerhouse of nutrient density. Among the diabetics in my family, guava has always been the highlight to end a meal with, and I’m starting to understand why.

It’s also popular among home gardeners in temperate and tropical zones – it needs little tending to to be prolific. It is a hard plant to kill, and is more giving than the giving tree, with some even fruiting within the first 18 months of planting.

In the middle of the New South Wales Northern Rivers winter where we do not have apples and pears and our citrus have dried up, guavas are persistently abundant.

But they’re a fruit that grows on you: they don’t have that flavour-bomb effect unless you eat it directly from the tree – or better yet, fallen fruit picked up from the ground. That’s when it tends to be at peak ripeness, when their fragrance is swoon-worthy. The ones on the supermarket shelves – if you can find them – are lacklustre, as they have most likely been harvested underripe. Like all fruits, they benefit from tree ripening, but unlike apples and pears they have a delicate skin and refrigeration oxidises them, making their appearance in the fruit section less appealing.

The good news is you can grow it in your backyard or even potted on a balcony. It is hardy, and despite not being in direct sunlight, will still outperform any citrus. A most amiable plant, given a little love it will return even more love. The puppy of the plant kingdom.

There are a number of varieties now widely available, and it grows very easily from seed or softwood cutting. The guava varieties coming to mind are the larger white and pink varieties like Thai, Indian, Mexican cream and Hawaiian pinks with lush foliage which can in their first year or two be susceptible to fungal diseases. This can be helped along by a good hard wood mulching, while ensuring they are not watered too much helps them produce more fruit. A little fertilising of fish and seaweed hydrolysate goes a long way, so don’t go overboard or you may find yourself with lots of lush leaves but only a handful of fruit.

The smaller species of guavas, including the cherry, pineapple and lemon guava, are also pleasing and refreshing to eat. They tend to be more tart, which makes them great for jams and jellies. They are very susceptible to fruit fly and birds, so I would recommend netting them and keep the tree pruned.

The other very popular relative is the feijoa, also known as pineapple guava – another wonderful backyard plant that tolerates cold winters well. They are loved particularly in my husband’s native New Zealand where feijoas are included in everything from vodka to sausage rolls (shrug emoji).

Larger guavas are best eaten tree-ripened, but if you prefer your fruit crunchy, then it is a perfect vehicle for a chilli, salt and sugar dip which you can make with the ratio 1:1:2. And should you find yourself with an abundance of fruit, then juice it. There is nothing more ambrosial than fresh guava juice – its fragrance really comes out to play with the crushing of its cells.