Pineapple guava's flowers gross me out
I inherited five large pineapple guavas (Feijoa sellowiana ) with the new house, which line the live oak-shaded back fence, alternating with pyracantha. Neither pineapple guava nor pyracantha is said to prefer shade, but these seem to be doing okay anyway.
I love the dusty bluish-green foliage of these evergreen shrubs. But here’s my dirty little secret: I hate the flowers. Just look at how they festoon this otherwise attractive shrub with weird, Christmasy red-and-white flowers. And it’s the wrong time of year for Christmas!
The buds are okay…
…until they open. Ugh! The way those cold-white outer petals droop down like morose lambs’ ears actually kind of grosses me out. I don’t think I’ve ever felt such a strong dislike for a flower before, and it makes me feel a little sorry for the pineapple guava, who now seems to me like a nice fellow with an occasional case of bad acne.
But, seriously, dear reader. This is only one humble opinion. Many people seem to adore pineapple guava, like Aiyana at Water When Dry, who posted about it two years ago and makes a very compelling case for using it in the dry garden. She also talks about the fruit that springs from these ugly flowers, which is edible but best harvested from the ground rather than the shrub to ensure ripeness.
Fruit would be nice, although I didn’t see any last fall, when we moved in. But I’d give up any chance of fruit to avoid having to look at these Christmasy flowers in May.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I don’t care much for red flowers, anyway, so those don’t do much for me, either. Those red things look like pieces of fiber optic filament with little fake gold balls on the ends of them. In a way, they look like cheap fake flowers. And you are right, this is definitely not the season for Christmas-y flowers.
The red parts remind me of bottlebrush (Callistemon) flowers, Carol, which I actually quite like. But it’s the white part of these that turns me off. They just look fleshy and flaccid. Ick. —Pam
I saw one of the flowers for the first time over at Annie’s (The Transplantable Rose) – I thought they were really cool. My guess is that they would really stand out – the colors are quite striking. Do they have edible fruit?
They DO really stand out, Pam. The white part makes them pop in the shade. Which just leaves me shaking my head at them. Sorry!
And yes, the fruit is edible, but I didn’t have any last fall. —Pam
Pam,
I think those are the coolest flowers. But having to see them everyday might be another matter. Do you get Guava Skippers too?
Not that I’ve seen. I just looked them up, and it sounds like Austin is too far north for them, but I’ll keep an eye out anyway. —Pam
I love hearing that someone else hates particular flowers, especially you…you seem so flower friendly! I’ve been known to cut flowers off some plants, just can’t stand them. Doesn’t really look like that is an option here though. Maybe a plant swap? Someone else may just love ’em! And then you don’t have to feel guilty for getting rid of them!
I think I’ll live with them, Loree, knowing that the bloom period is fairly short. Besides, at six feet tall and well-established, they’re not really transplantable. —Pam
All right Pam, pack the plant and send it my way!
I wish I could send the bounty of flowers your way, Tatyana. I’ll keep the foliage! —Pam
While I don’t share your dislike for the Guava, I certainly understand a person’s dislike for a certain plant. There are several plants that I can’t stand, but I seem to be more adverse to certain colors, no matter the plant. My least favorite flower color are those that are skim-milk-blue, you know that washed out white color that comes on some flowers like Amsonia hubrichtii. I keep the Amsonia just for the foliage, if I could cut the flower off without ruining the stems I would.
I understand, Les. But sometimes it’s worth putting up with a weird flower for good foliage, isn’t it? —Pam
I giggled (with all due respect) at your strong dislike for what appears to me a lovely little flower. Maybe you should think of those as tiny little explosions of fireworks rather than ratty little christmas decor. I could just see you out there snip snip snipping off those little blossoms. tee hee…
I’m glad you found it funny, Lisa. It was meant to be. 🙂 —Pam
HA Pam, this one tickles me as well. We like this tree so much we planted one at our Woodlands home. Hope the homeowners like it better than you do. The thing I like is the flowers, with those spiky red centers. Comparing it to acne is just gross. What could be going on inside your brain to see that? I supposed if you really hate them, they must be replaced! Or maybe the fruit will win you over, could they be a sterile variety though?
Frances
Hi, Frances. I like the spiky red centers too, which remind me of bottlebrush flowers. It’s the icky white petals I don’t like. Luckily these shrubs reside at the back of the yard. —Pam
The previous owner left you some great plants and I love the flowers. They are such a pretty combination and the close up is a magnificent flower. So there!!
Hee, hee! I’m glad you enjoyed the images more than I do, Jenny. —Pam
Hi, Pam, Have you ever tried eating the flowers? I understand that they’re edible . . . some people even use them to make wine. If you could find someone to eat them, you’d be left with just the greenery that you like.
Hi, Sirena. Yeah, I’m not sure if I could eat something that looks so yucky, but maybe I could find a willing neighbor to come graze. 😉 —Pam
I love red flowers, but the petals do look like wilted lambs ears. The title of this post made me laugh. Thanks.~~Dee
I’m glad you got a kick out of it, Dee. 😉 —Pam
Well, if you really hate the plant for the flowers, you can always use Freecycle to find a new home for them. No point in wasting all that life, and you will get room to put in something that makes your heart sing.
It’s not wasted if I can milk my distaste for a few laughs, Jenn. 😉 Besides, they’re too big to transplant, and I do enjoy the foliage the rest of the year. I shall just have to learn to avert my eyes in April and May. —Pam
I moved my pineapple guava last year because it was clearly unhappy where it was. It has responded by being marginally less unhappy. I did notice signs of new growth on it the other day, though. I planted it where I did thinking the flowers would go well with other plants in the area. I hope I don’t feel the same way you do about the flowers when they finally bloom!
I hope not too, Cindy! Well, most of my commenters seem to favor them, so probably it’s just me. —Pam
The petals are also edible, my daughter and I eat them as fast as they bloom. They taste lightly sweet, and are a good way of getting rid of all the white you dislike!
Ew, I couldn’t eat them if I don’t even like to look at them. 😉 They may be tasty, but they shall remain off my plate. I do love the image of you and your daughter noshing on them though. —Pam