edenhana

Feijoa

New Zealand's favourite backyard fruit tree - hardy, easy-care and heavy-cropping once established, dropping ripe fruit from autumn into early winter. Grafted trees typically bear their first fruit 2-3 years after planting (most varieties crop far better with a second, different variety nearby for cross-pollination). Frost-tender while young but tolerant of most NZ gardens once established. Watch for guava moth grubs in the fruit, now well established from Northland down to Waikato.

Sun
full sun
Water
moderate
Spacing
200cm
Harvest
Ready in about 2-3 years
Difficulty
beginner
Grows in
Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Hamilton / Waikato, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Napier / Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson, Tasman, Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago, Invercargill / Southland
Expected yield
10-20kg of fruit per mature tree per season
Cost to grow
~$30 NZD
Grocery value
~$120 NZD
Mature height
3m
Attracts wildlife
Bees, Birds (eat the sweet fleshy flower petals)
Evergreen
Yes
Common diseases
Anthracnose
Common pests
Guava moth, Bronze beetle, Scale insects, Feijoa bud mite

When to plant by region

In Whangārei / Northland, Auckland, Tauranga / Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Napier / Hawke's Bay: March-April and September-November. In Hamilton / Waikato, New Plymouth / Taranaki, Palmerston North / Manawatū-Whanganui, Wellington, Nelson and Tasman: September-November. In Blenheim / Marlborough, West Coast, Christchurch / Canterbury, Dunedin / Otago and Invercargill / Southland: September-October.

Growing stages

  1. Planting & establishmentFirst few months

    • Water consistently while young, even though this becomes a moderate-water tree once established
    • Frost-tender while young, so shelter or delay planting until frost risk has passed
    • Plant a second, different variety nearby; most feijoas crop far better with a cross-pollinator close by

  2. Early growthFirst 1-2 years

    • Check new growth for bronze beetle and scale insects
    • Anthracnose can appear on stressed young growth in humid weather
    • First fruit is typically 2-3 years away; full sun and shelter help trees bulk up steadily

  3. Flowering & fruiting

    • Flowers attract bees, and birds eat the sweet fleshy petals, so avoid spraying nearby during this period
    • Feijoa bud mite can distort flower buds and reduce fruit set
    • Guava moth grubs, now well established from Northland to Waikato, tunnel into developing fruit

  4. MaturityOngoing harvest from autumn into early winter

    • Fruit ripens and drops from the tree from autumn into early winter; collect windfalls promptly
    • Keep monitoring for guava moth in affected northern regions and anthracnose in humid weather
    • Established trees yield 10-20kg of fruit per season with minimal ongoing care

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