Guavaberry Page 3 - History, Botany, Folklore

The Guavaberry fruit has never been cultivated and with the exception of a recent revival on St. Maarten/St Martin, it was more popular 100 years ago than it is today. The fruit could lie rotting on the trees to be enjoyed only by birds. The trees are irregular in size & shape. Some trees are full & bushy (10 feet high & wide) while others are tall & thin (60+ feet high).

They blossom with tiny delicate pink & white flowers. The flowers & the berries are attached directly to the branches, without stems. The ripe berries are spherical from 9-14 mm (c. 1/2 inch) in diameter with a thin grape-like skin. There is a large irregular round seed or stone which is surrounded by a thin layer of translucent, juicy, pungent, bitter-sweet flesh.

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