I have a beautiful old feijoa Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in my thousand , and every outpouring it appeal flocks of starling that trip the light fantastic through its foliage . The starlings are hungry for the hundreds of candy crimson flowers that appear before the fruit set in former summertime .
I compare these flowers to nature ’s litter — swaying in the gentle wind , dropping from the tree , and covering the ground with soft , fragrant petals that brighten up the brownbark mulch .
Feijoa peak are one of my favorite edible flowers . A lot of blossom are really edible , but whether or not they ’re palatable ( on their own , not just as an accent ) is a unlike story .
Feijoa efflorescence are strange in that they ’re succulent and dulcet like marshmallows , with hints of the Ananas comosus / kiwi / mint flavour constitutional in pineapple guava fruits . I ’ll often scatter a few flower over a salad when I ’m feeling fancy , or discombobulate some to my chickens with the rest of their Green .
Theflowers also flow the hummingbird , butterfly , scrub jays , and squirrels that frequent the garden each daytime . With theonslaught of fruitsthat I get in the fall — thanks to prolific pollination by the dame and the bees — sometimes I wish they ’d use up a small more !
The efflorescence have fleshy blanched flower petal with showy scarlet stamens ; they cue me a scrap of fuchsia flowers . pull aside , the petal look like ocean shells with their lightly textured exterior and rosy ruddy interior .
Botanically , feijoa(Acca sellowiana)is an evergreen shrub from theMyrtaceaefamily that can be espaliered or trained into a hedge , but mine has slowly produce into a large tree with a individual torso . It ’s a few decades previous and has develop to bear resemblance to an olive tree ( very Mediterranean looking ) with its gnarly trunk , silver fleeceable leaves , and eggs - shaped yield .
It ’s incredibly drouth - tolerant as well , since the only water supply my pineapple guava receive is from natural rain … and we have n’t had too much of that recently . If you live in a affectionate climate ( geographical zone 8 and up ) and want a downhearted - maintenance fruit Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that ’s also bird- and bee - friendly , a feijoa bush is a great pickaxe !
