Guava Varieties


There are numerous varieties of guava from Latin America, India, Southeast Asia, Mexico, and the US (Florida, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico).
There are two basic types grown in Florida, pink or red pulp types consumed when ripe and white pulp types consumed when non-ripe (green or crispy). ¹

Pink type available include 'Homestead' (Ruby x Supreme), 'Barbi Pink', 'Blitch', 'Hong Kong Pink', and 'Patillo'. Green types include 'Crystal', 'Lotus', 'Supreme', and 'Webber'. Some less popular varieties may be hard to find in local nurseries. ¹

Variety	Flesh colour	Flavor	Recommendation for home plantingz
Supreme	White	Mild, sub-acid	N
Ruby	Red	Mild, sweet	N
Blitch	Light pink	Tart, pleasant	N
Patillo	Pink	Subacid, mild flavor	Y
Homestead (Ruby x Supreme)	Pink	Sweet	Y
Webber x Supreme	White	Sweet	N
Hong Kong Pink	Pink	Sweet	Y
Webber	Yellow	Sweet	N
Crystal	White	Mildly sweet, eaten immature, crunchy texture	Y
Lotus	White	Mildly sweet, eaten immature, crunchy texture	Y
Asian White	White	Mildly sweet, eaten immature, crunchy texture	Y
z, Some varieties may be difficult to find in the nursery trade.

Fig. 1 'Hong Kong Pink'	Fig. 2 'Ruby X Supreme'

s
Fig. 3

'Patillo'

Because the fruit must be bagged to protect it from the Caribbean fruit fly, preference should be given to large-fruited cultivars: 'Thai Giant', 'White Indian', 'Hong Kong Pink', 'White Indonesian', 'Lucknow 49', 'Red Indian', 'Detwiler', 'Ruby x Supreme', 'Peruvian White ' and 'Supreme'. ²

Further Reading
Guava Growing in the Florida Home Landscape, University of Florida ^pdf
Guava Collection, Tropical Plant Genetic Resources and Disease Research: Hilo, HI, USDA/ARS
Cost Estimates of Establishing and Producing Thai Guavas in Florida, University of Florida ^{pdf (Archived)}
Cost Estimates of Producing Pink Guava (Psidium guajava L.) in South Florida, University of Florida ^pdf

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