Chilean Guava -- why doesn't everyone have one of these?

October 14, 1:53 PMOakland Fresh Foods ExaminerAmy Greacen

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When I started narrowing down my front yard plant palette to include only (or mostly) things that were perennial, edible, suited to our climate and preferably evergreen, some unfamiliar cultivars popped up that I figured were edible in the sense of being non-toxic, but not necessarily tasty. Things like toyon and eleagnus, which I knew but had not eaten, and others I had never even seen in the ground, notably a couple of myrtle family members, luma apiculata and ugni mollinae.

Research suggested that luma or orangewood myrtle grows into a huge tree over time, and I didn't have room for that, so Ugni it was. The common name is Chilean guava, though the berry in the picture I found was more like a small, dry cranberry than anything else.

Even my gardener was unfamiliar with the plant, and came back from the wholesale nursery with a truckload of feijoa sellowiana. A perfectly nice shrub in its own right, but not what I wanted. "No," I said. "This is pineapple guava. I want Chilean guava."

"You mean strawberry guava?"

"No. I mean Chilean guava. Ugni. Murtilla," I added, the Spanish word coming to me from something I'd read.

"Murtilla?" My gardener frowned. "That just means myrtle."

Oh, it went on. But he came back with the plant I'd seen in photos.

"Have you actually tasted these?" he asked.

"No, why? Are they nasty?"

"They're amazing."

No kidding, they are amazing. I don't know why the Chilean guava is such an obscure planting in the East Bay. Looking it up online, it's hard to even find much information about it. As the name suggests, it's endemic to Chile, and it's used there in both culinary and medicinal applications. Yet American Nutritionistas seem not to have gotten this fruit on their radar yet, and wellness and nutrient data is hard to come by. The leaf and berry both contain polyphenols -- but you know that just by looking at the color.

The small, pendant berries of the Chilean guava have a surprising, candy-like flavor. There are notes of alpine strawberry, pineapple, and tropical guava, but there is also a resinous, Christmas-tree note on the back of the palate, somewhat reminiscent of juniper berry.

The plant itself is a handsome one, with small, glossy leaves and an arching, vaselike shape to as high as 8 feet over time (I'll shear mine back to less than half that height). Its flowers are pale pink, sometimes white, and look not unlike blueberry blossoms. It fruits thickly, and the clusters of berries are very ornamental even if you don't choose to eat them.

In Chile, Ugni fruits are made into a dessert with membrillo (quince paste) and are also used in jams, liqueurs, and eaten fresh. I'm planning to incorporate mine into green salads (with spinach, pecans and a light vinaigrette I think they'll prove perfect). They seem fortuitously well-suited to other fruits that ripen at this time of year and should go nicely with apples, pomegranates or Fuyu persimmons.

I'm baffled at the obscurity of this plant and expect it to come into fashion any minute. If you want to be a trendsetter, my money's on the plant that rhymes with "ugly,"  because the association ends there. This is a beauty and any East Bay gardener who wants to look beyond the typical apple and lemon trees for edible perennials should treat themselves to a Chilean guava.I'm going to be enjoying this specimen as much in my kitchen as in my landscape.