Description
EarliHart™ is a choice selection from Roy Hart, the New Zealand plant breeder behind several of the modern feijoa varieties, and named in his honor. Its defining trait is timing — EarliHart is among the earliest-ripening pineapple guavas, which makes it particularly useful in cool-summer regions where later cultivars can struggle to finish their crop before fall frosts arrive.
The fruit is sweet with the pineapple-and-mint character pineapple guava is known for, and clear, juicy flesh when ripe. The shrub also flowers showily in late spring and early summer with red-and-white blossoms whose petals are edible; many growers harvest a portion of the bloom for salads or garnish and let the rest set fruit. As with the species generally, EarliHart is evergreen with silver undersides to the leaves and works well as either a single-trunk small tree or a productive hedge.
EarliHart is partially self-fertile — it will set some fruit on its own, but cropping is noticeably better with a second pineapple guava cultivar nearby. It is hardy to roughly USDA Zone 7 with good siting, and the species’ preference for cool winters and moderate summers makes EarliHart a strong fit for maritime and coastal regions where its early ripening turns into a real advantage.
Overview
- Choice seed grown selection; named in honor of NZ breeder Roy Hart.
- Among the earliest-ripening pineapple guavas — particularly valuable in cool-summer climates.
- Sweet fruit with pineapple-and-mint character.
- Showy red-and-white summer flowers with edible petals.
- Partially self-fertile; produces more reliably with a cross-pollinator.
- Works as a single-trunk small tree or as a productive hedge.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Acca sellowiana ‘EarliHart’
Site and Soil: 1/2 day to full day of sun; well-drained soil
Hardiness: Roughly USDA Zone 7–10 with good siting
Rootstock: Grafted onto pineapple guava rootstock
Bearing Age: 2–3 years after planting
Size at Maturity: Approximately 8–10 ft tall; can be trained as a single-trunk small tree or grown as a hedge
Bloom Time: Late spring into early summer; flowers are showy and edible
Ripening Time: Among the earliest-ripening pineapple guavas; typically early to mid-season
Pollination: Partially self-fertile; heavier and more reliable cropping with a second pineapple guava cultivar planted within approximately 20 ft
Pests & Diseases: Pineapple guava is generally low-pressure in most climates; standard management for fungal issues may be appropriate in humid or particularly wet seasons
Additional Notes
- Grower’s Insight: EarliHart’s early ripening is its real distinguishing trait — for growers in cool-summer regions where later feijoas often don’t finish, it can be the difference between a reliable annual crop and a hit-or-miss one.
- Regional Insight: Pineapple guava performs especially well in coastal and Mediterranean-style climates where summers are warm but not excessively humid, and EarliHart’s early-season ripening extends its useful range further into short-summer and cool-summer regions where most feijoas struggle to mature their fruit.
- Explore more pineapple guava in our collection: Pineapple Guava
