The biggest fruit in the whole grumichama family, and a good one for juicing even if you wouldn’t eat it plain off the tree.
The Basics
Guayabilla, Eugenia victoriana, is a fruit tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, and a relative of grumichama.
Origin and Habitat
Native to South America, where it grows alongside its Eugenia and Myrtaceae relatives in tropical forest.
What It Looks Like
A genuinely nice looking tree, with reddish, feathery new leaves. Ours is still under six feet tall and produces the largest fruit of anything in the grumichama family line, noticeably bigger than its relatives, once it actually gets there.
Uses and Flavor
Sour, with an aroma close to lilikoi, which makes it a good juicing fruit even though it’s not something you’d want to eat plain off the tree. Hasn’t fruited for us yet, so that’s still ahead of us.
Growing It Here
Planted as part of building out our broader Eugenia and Myrtaceae collection alongside grumichama and arazá. Still under six feet tall and not producing yet, but it’s one of the better looking trees in that whole family, reddish feathery foliage that stands out even before there’s fruit to show for it.
Pests and Diseases to Watch For
Nothing to report so far.
Kenta’s Take
Not a snacking fruit, but a genuinely useful one once you think of it as juice material rather than a fresh eat. Looking forward to the first batch once it’s finally big enough to fruit.