Description
Waingaro is a highly regarded New Zealand pineapple guava variety known for its rich flavor, smooth flesh, and improved fruit size. It offers a balanced sweetness with fragrant tropical notes, making it one of the best-tasting feijoas available to home growers. Compared to older cultivars, Waingaro is more productive and often ripens more uniformly. This evergreen shrub is both ornamental and practical, featuring striking red-and-white flowers in late spring and flavorful fall fruit. Feijoas thrive in the Pacific Northwest and similar climates, rewarding growers with a unique fruit rarely found in stores.check out this really cool research to discover the anti-fungal, candida fighting power of the pineapple guava:
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Metabolites-of-Feijoa-Extracts-Positively-Correlated-with-Antifungal-Activity-a_tbl1_323810954
Pineapple guavas can vary significantly in their flavor profiles making them a cool plant that you will want to collect as many varieties of as you have space for! Just like figs, there is becoming something of a cult like group of enthused gardeners eager to get their hands on the latest varieties. Count us among this group! The beautiful, sweet flowers, their shiny/silvery evergreen foliage and their unique fruit make this one of the coolest plants we have come across for those in similar temperate climates. Hardy to around 10 degrees. Waingaro is self-fertile and is late-ripening, most likely best suited for warmer climates.
Overview
- Premium New Zealand cultivar with excellent flavor and aroma.
- Self-fertile but produces heavier crops with another feijoa nearby.
- Evergreen ornamental — attractive year-round foliage and flowers.
- Cold-tolerant and well-suited for Zone 8 climates.
- Vigorous and productive compared to many standard feijoa varieties.
Growing Details
Latin Name: Acca sellowiana
Site and Soil: Well-drained soil; 1/2 day to full day of sun
Hardiness (Temp): 10°F
Bearing Age: 2–3 years after planting
Rootstock:
Size at Maturity: 10–12 ft
Bloom Time: Late spring
Ripening Time: October–November (varies by climate and season)
Yield: Heavy cropping
Pests and Diseases: Generally resistant; few issues in most regions
USDA Zone: 8–10
Additional Notes
- Fruit naturally drops when ripe — collect daily for best quality.
- Light pruning after harvest helps shape and encourage airflow.
- Cross-pollination boosts yield but is not required.
- Explore more Pineapple guava varieties in our collection: Pineapple Guavas
