GardenBanter.co.uk - ugni molinae

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pam Moore (Post 781744)

Is anybody growing, or has grown, ugni molinae (Chilean guava) as
featured on Gardeners World 2 weeks ago?
Does anyone know of Edulis nursery which grows it and featured in the
programme. I could find a web site but not one up to date.
I want to get one. Any help please?

Pam in Bristol

I am keeping one alive in the dry Chilterns. It will grow better for you in Bristol, assuming you don't have alkaline soil or an exposed hilltop garden. If you do have alkaline soil (ie can't grow rhodies in your area), you'll have to grow it in a pot. Give it a protected spot: it is very hardy when dormant in winter, but the tips are prone to frost damage in the spring when they wake up.

I've eaten the berries in Chile, and they are delicious, best cooked rather than raw. They were supposedly Queen Victoria's favourite fruit, and cultivated in Cornwall for her. "Guava" is a misnomer, the Chileans call them "murta", ie blueberry (like french "myrtille" = wild blueberry), which is nearer what they are. They are quite difficult to ripen in our climate, you could well have to wait till well into November for them to ripen. I've had one berry so far, and it didn't ripen.

Jekka sells them and she is near Bristol, but you've just missed a couple of open days there. There was hardly anyone selling them when I got mine 5 years ago, but quite a few people selling them now.

You sometimes see them under the old name Myrtus ugni.