Feijoa
Acca sellowiana
A tough evergreen that doubles as a fruiting hedge and windbreak, with edible flowers and aromatic fruit. Plant more than one for good fruit set, and give it summer heat to ripen.
Feijoa in a syntropic line
Feijoa belongs in the Medium layer as a Secondary productive species. The productive heart — most of your yield lives here. Rough in-row spacing starts around 5 m in a syntropic row. Good line partners include Black locust, False indigo bush. As a Secondary species it carries mid-term yield and structure while climax trees slowly claim the canopy.
Tolerances and growing conditions
- Strata
- Medium
- Lifecycle
- Secondary
- Soil preference
- Loam, Sandy
- Soil pH range
- 5.5 – 7
- Min. temperature
- -9°C
- Min. rainfall
- 700 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- Medium
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Irrigation needed
- Medium
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Waterlogging tolerance
- Low
- Origin
- South America
- Native to Portugal
- No
How to manage it
Grow as a fruiting hedge or windbreak - it tolerates coastal exposure, clips well, and produces edible flowers as a bonus. Prune lightly after harvest to keep shape.
How to prune
Leave feijoa alone in deep winter; it's shaped after harvest or in early spring, not now. If needed, only remove dead or badly crossing wood to maintain a dense hedge or windbreak form, keeping the evergreen canopy intact through cold months.
How to propagate
Sow seed or take softwood cuttings; seedlings are variable — graft for a named variety.
Guidance, not a guarantee — success varies by species and skill.
What to watch out for
Many cultivars need cross-pollination for good fruit set — plant more than one, or choose a self-fertile variety. Needs summer heat to ripen fruit fully.
Frequently asked questions about Feijoa
Is feijoa frost-hardy?
Yes for winter cold in many climates — generally hardy to around -9°C when dormant, with medium frost tolerance in the catalog. Flowering crops can still lose a season to late frost, so site them carefully.
What soil does feijoa need?
It does best on loam, sandy ground, at pH about 5.5–7.
How much water does feijoa need?
Plan for a rainfall floor around 700 mm/year, plus medium irrigation once established.
Can feijoa handle wet or waterlogged soil?
Poorly — feijoa has low waterlogging tolerance, so keep it off winter-wet clay and standing water.
What should I watch out for with feijoa?
Many cultivars need cross-pollination for good fruit set — plant more than one, or choose a self-fertile variety. Needs summer heat to ripen fruit fully.
Feijoa in soil templates
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