Guava Tree or Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae)

Guava Tree or Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae) also known as the Umdoni Tree, Koejawel in Afrikaans.

Looking into trees, would we know one species from the next, keep learning!

Guava Trees are no longer seen in our area as they once were, many have been removed, now noted in alien category 3, trees may not be sold/traded and only planted in certain areas.

At one time you would walk into wooded areas seeing fruit picked by the local folk, in fact we had 2 trees across the road when the land was vacant.

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Sadly this fruit bearing tree is invasive, drinking up water which indigenous trees require, fruit flies are attracted to the fallen fruit which may contaminate other indigenous orchards or berries. Seeds are dispersed by birds and monkeys moving up and down the coastal belt. Yup mother nature at work through poop!

Ever green, bearing fruit there is no way of stopping the trees growing along the KwaZulu-Natal coast belt, it is up individuals to identify and make decision as to gardening within indigenous only. I feel sorry for the animals when fruit bearing trees are removed, always less for them to eat off the land of late, no wonder they are invading houses stealing from kitchens.

Guava trees are found in tropical regions of Central and South America, where much more water is available, this tree must be considered before planting if we want to keep our local plants in thriving good health.

Irony is the name Umdoni is an isiZulu name for the indigenous tree, clearly this is not the case with the species known as a guava tree. Trees can reach 10 m in height, fruit will be eaten by Birds and Vervet Monkeys in preference to indigenous trees. Guava plantations in the Mpumalanga and Cape regions under agricultural farming are areas where the trees are nurtured for fruit.

Now I know why all the guava trees we had growing wild have disappeared, they have been listed as invasive and yes our municipality will remove them. Below is a photo of a similar species, this one protected, we really have to know which trees are acceptable to have and which we need to think long and hard before planting trees in our gardens.

By the year 2000, 10 million hectares of land in South Africa had been invaded by alien plants. Alien plants have numerous impacts:

They increase flood damage
They compete with agricultural crops
They displace indigenous plants and animals
They increase the loss of water from catchments
They expand the range of disease-causing organisms

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Thought for today: When there is a big tree, small ones climb on its back to reach the sun. ~ African Proverb