Flowers and fruit of the more common red-fruited form of strawberry
guava (Psidium cattleianum f. licidum), locally known as waiawi.Strawberry guava occurs usually as a small, spindly tree in Hawaii where it forms dense thickets. A yellow-fruited and a red-fruited form of this species are known, the red-fruited form being more common in Hawaii. The species is native to Brazil, where it may assume a more full, spreading form and attain considerable size. Psidium cattleianum is closely related to common guava, P. guajava, a species favored in Hawaii for its edible fruit, although no commercial industry exists for guava production. Nevertheless, protection of common guava must be considered in attempts at biocontrol of strawberry guava. Control of strawberry guava is complicated by the preference of feral pigs for its fruit, the seeds of which pass undamaged through the digestive tract and are widely distributed through lowland forests. Birds also may aid in this dispersal.
Flowers and fruit of the more common red-fruited form of strawberry
guava (Psidium cattleianum f. licidum), locally known as waiawi.
A thicket of strawberry guava near Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.