Psidium friedrichsthalianum

The Costa Rican Guava, also known as Cas, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to tropical Central and South America. While similar in appearance to the common Guava, Costa Rican Guava has a flavor profile all its own. Fruits can be extremely sour and are usually used prepared in juices and jams instead of fresh out of hand. Despite the tartness, the flavor is excellent with passionfruit and pineapple tones and is much more pronounced than the subtle flavor of the common grocery store Guava. While this plant can be found in northern South America, it is very much a part of the culture and cuisine of Costa Rica.

Evergreen, lanceolate foliage is lime green with red colored veins and new stems, smothered with white, sweetly scented, fluffy flowers in midsummer. Flowers are followed by golf ball sized, lime green to yellow fruit that ripen in fall. Costa Rican Guava is more tropical than the common Guava, so plants are likely a little less cold tolerant and more appreciative of hot summers.

Cold hardy to zone 10a and above, or to 30 degrees Fahrenheit.