Thomas, that's outrageous! To my knowledge, Strawberry Guavas are strictly tropical and can't be grown outside here. Can you ship them back?? I certainly wouldn't pay that balance.

I'm glad to hear about your success with Pineapple Guavas. I have two of those as well (also in Blount County). One is 4-5 feet tall and flowered fairly well this year. My second one is small and didn't flower, so I don't know whether I will get any fruits.

Occasionally you can find Pineapple Guavas in Birmingham nurseries. Some of the Lowe's also carry them at times -- that's where I bought my second one.

At one time, Southern Homes & Gardens in Montgomery carried the Pineapple Guava - don't know if they still do though. IF I go, i will check - however, I am TRYING to stay away from nurseries for a while - they do lots of damage to my "disposable income"! :)

Sorry I didn't see your posting sooner-I LOVE Strawberry Guava-have one-it is now five feet tall-and this is the first year it has had fruit-and IT IS GOING CRAZY!! About 500 gorgeous (see photos on google) fruits-about 15 ripe each day.!!!!!It was here when we bought-(Zone 9) in Florida-and we are here almost three years in Nov....Keep it-you won't be sorry-I eat them raw-I put them in cereal-I add them to peanut butter sandwiches instead of or with- jelly.They are RICH in vitamin C.Put it in a huge terra cotta pot-and enjoy! You can prune it smaller if it gets too wide or tall.It isn't fussy-and has NO insects-EVER!!!!..Marilyn

So do the Pinapple Guavas grow in the ground here?

Yes, Pineapple Guava will grow in Alabama at least 35 miles north of Birmingham, in foothills of the Appalachians. Mine are about six or seven years old. Their morphology is similar to crepe myrtle and that would be your best guess, if didn't know what you are looking at. However, they are bushier (no flower bunches at the top) and not as tall. I have had some fruit for the last three years. I do not think this year will be as prolific. I suspect it had something to do with the winter time temperatures. It was cold and humid for prolonged periods of time here. It seems to do better if we have a brief dry "deep freeze". I have tried to propagate them from cuttings with no luck. That is why I broke down and tried to order some more.

I took pity on the Strawberry Guavas and repotted them. They are doing fine in the severe heat and humidity we have had over the last few weeks. I am not looking forward to hauling them in and out of the house this winter. I am already doing that with a Calamondin and a lemon tree and a laurel nobilis tree. I am wondering how long it takes to get fruit off the Strawberry guava. (I had ordered a potted Calamondin from Ty Ty several years ago. It arrived with some fruit already on it! That was certainly a motivator to take good care of it during the winter)

Thomas, are you growing Loquats?? I have one in a sheltered spot behind my house. I'm hoping in an odd year I may get a few fruits on the most protected branches. I have heard from someone in Tuscaloosa who occasionally gets some ripe Loquats.

I've had good luck with Laurus nobilis as an outdoor plant, even when I lived in a colder valley location here in West Blount Co.

I didn't get any fruits on my one Pineapple Guava that flowered. I'm hoping next year the other one will flower as well and they can pollinate each other.

Wow, I think I need some of those. How's the flavor of the pinapple variety? Are two trees required for pollination?

I tried some Strawberry Guavas on a trip to Hawaii a few years ago. They were very nice!

Joel, hard to say how a pineapple guava tastes; fruity and somewhat grapey is the best I can describe. The skin is astringent if you happen to bite into it. Two trees are required for pollination. Since you live in zone 8a they should do better than here in 7b. Again, it took mine about 4 years to produce fruit. So if you can get older plants, you will probably have a shorter wait for fruit.

Thomas, I have had the same trouble with Gurney's Nurseries. This year I have vowed to never order from them again. They left off part of my order and then charged me. It took 2-3 phone calls to get it straight. You can grow a your laurel outside here in Huntsville if you put it on the south side near the house. Mine has been in the ground for 10 yrs and I have to prune heavily 2-3 times a summer. It grows taller than my head. I am going to try a guava. They are one of my favorite fruits.

Thomas, before you plant Guavas outside. I am sending a link for you to read. If i get one I will put it in a pot.

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/55285

It's been a few years since anyone posted on this thread. My 4" Strawberry Guava from Gurney's just arrived! I made sure to water it and it is sitting in it's little pot in a bigger pot for protection outside in the sun on the patio. I'll be transplanting it soon. Gurneys recommends a bigger pot when it gets 2 new leaves. I'm looking forward to seeing it grow and picking some fruit eventually! Strawberry Guava... hmmmmmm Wonder how a Strawberry Guava Margarita will taste!!

Thanks for the link in the previous post. I went there and enjoyed all the posts and the information. I live in the Southern California Desert. It's certainly warm enough, but I will need to mist it probably. It's pretty dry here, and it seems guavas love humidity.

I have a nice fan that will blow misty water (great in our hot summers), so I'm thinking of treating my tropicals to some misty joy this year.