Editing Acca sellowiana cultivars and selections

{| class="wikitable" style="float: right; width: 320px; margin-left: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 1em;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="background: #e8e8e8;" | Feijoa cultivar and selection guide (''Acca sellowiana'')
|-
! Scientific name
| ''Acca sellowiana''
|-
! Genus
| [[Acca]]
|-
! Family
| [[Myrtaceae]]
|-
! Order
| [[Myrtales]]
|-
! Scope
| Named fruiting selections and grower trade-offs
|}

This guide compares named feijoa selections documented in New Zealand horticultural material. It complements [[Acca sellowiana]]; the terms early, mid-season, and late are relative harvest groupings rather than fixed dates for every climate.<sup id="cite_ref-1">[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-2">[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Description ==

A feijoa selection is useful to a grower chiefly through the combination of harvest timing, fruit traits, plant habit, and pollination behavior. No selection combines every desirable feature: early crops can extend the season, large or delicate fruit can demand gentler handling, and a compact plant may trade vigor for easier placement. The comparisons below retain the regional wording of the source descriptions rather than converting it into universal calendar dates.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

The season labels describe relative order within the New Zealand material. A warmer district generally reaches harvest earlier than a cooler district, so the same selection can move on the calendar while retaining a useful relative position among neighboring selections.<sup id="cite_ref-5">[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>

== Cultivation ==

=== Pollination and planting combinations ===

Flowers are hermaphrodite, but feijoa selections differ in barriers to self-fertilization and in practical self-fertility; the pollination literature describes self-pollinated, partially self-fertile, and cross-pollinated situations rather than one rule for all selections.<sup id="cite_ref-4">[[#cite_note-4|[4]]]</sup> For a dependable home planting, pair selections whose flowering overlaps even when one is advertised as self-fertile. Tui specifically describes Unique as truly self-fertile, Apollo as semi-self-fertile, and Wiki Tu as partially self-fertile, while Anatoki, Kaiteri, Kakariki, and Triumph are described as needing a pollinating partner in that guide.<sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

A useful two-tree plan is one early selection plus a second early or mid-season selection, followed by a late selection where space permits. Mammoth and Triumph are commonly paired in the selection guidance; this is a grower-oriented combination, not proof that the pair is optimal in every climate or orchard layout.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

=== Choosing for site and handling ===

Compact or slow-growing selections can simplify a small garden, while vigorous selections need more room and may require formative pruning. Fruit that bruises easily favors picking and packing close to the tree; firmer fruit and good keeping quality favor growers who need a wider harvest or short storage window.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

For a long harvest, combine relative season groups rather than planting several selections with the same label. The early-to-late spread is a planning aid, not a guarantee: crop load, regional climate, flowering overlap, and selection can shift the actual harvest sequence.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>

== Flowering, fruiting, and harvest ==

In cool-storage trials reported in a Massey University thesis, early ‘Unique’ generally had a shorter storage life than late ‘Opal Star’; controlled-atmosphere treatment improved retention of acceptable Opal Star fruit in that study. The result supports treating storage as a selection consideration, not as a universal ranking independent of cultivar and region.<sup id="cite_ref-3">[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup>

Harvest and eating quality remain selection- and season-dependent. A grower prioritizing the first fruit should look among Kakariki, Anatoki, Unique, Kaiteri, or Pounamu; a grower prioritizing late fruit and handling should compare Opal Star, Triumph, and Wiki Tu, while checking local stock descriptions and a compatible flowering partner.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

== Fruit and uses ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Selection !! Relative season in regional guides !! Fruit and appearance !! Pollination, plant habit, or trade-off
|-
| '''Kakariki''' || Very early || Large fruit; exceptionally sweet in the NZFGA description || Needs a pollinating partner in Tui's guide; Waimea places it approximately four weeks before Unique, an approximate regional comparison.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Anatoki''' || Extremely early || Good-sized, smooth fruit; sweet, mild flavor || Compact habit; reported about 2–3 weeks before Unique and described as needing a pollinating partner.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Unique''' || Very early || Medium to large fruit; rough skin in Waimea's description, with smooth, soft, juicy, mildly aromatic flesh; good keeping is reported || Most consistently self-fertile in the selection guidance and productive when young; a partner can still improve cropping. Upright to spreading with moderately weak branches.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Kaiteri''' || Early || Large, smooth fruit; crop starts before Unique and extends longer || Prolific, vigorous, and upright; described as needing a pollinating partner, so it suits a planting with an overlapping partner rather than a solitary tree. Bred by Roy Hart.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Pounamu''' || Early || Medium fruit; very dark green skin, aromatic rich flavor, and good storage are described || Upright to spreading with moderate vigor; an early dark-skinned option, with availability and protection status subject to change.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Apollo''' || Early-mid to mid/late, depending on source and region || Large, sweet fruit; smooth, thin-skinned, and oval in Tui's description, with some fruit uneven || Vigorous and upright to spreading; semi-self-fertile, but delicate fruit bruises easily. The differing season labels are a regional/source variation, not a settled universal date.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Kakapo''' || Mid-season || Medium to medium-large blocky-oval fruit; mild, sweet, refreshing flavor and good shelf life/storage are described || Open tree habit may ease picking; selection descriptions do not establish a cultivar-specific pollination claim.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Den’s Choice''' || Mid-season || Medium-large, very sweet, smooth, juicy fruit with mild aroma; good keeping is reported || A useful mid-season comparison; selection descriptions do not establish a specific pollination or habit advantage.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup id="cite_ref-6">[[#cite_note-6|[6]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Mammoth''' || Mid-late || Medium fruit; moderately soft and juicy with a somewhat grainy texture; empty internal locules are frequently noted in the NZFGA description || A pollinating partner can improve fruit size; Triumph is the commonly suggested partner. The locule observation is retained as a source description, not a universal defect claim.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Opal Star''' || Mid-season in Waimea material; late in NZFGA and Tui material || Medium to medium-large, smooth dark-green fruit with aromatic juicy flesh; good storage is reported || Compact, slow-growing, bushy habit suitable for a home garden or hedge; heavy crops may need thinning. Source descriptions conflict on relative season, and the thesis found longer cool-storage performance than Unique in its trial.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Triumph''' || Late || Medium to large oval fruit; firm skin, sharp or excellent flavor, juicy flesh that can be slightly gritty; good handling and storage are advantages || Strongly vigorous, especially when young; commonly used as a Mammoth partner, but it also benefits from a flowering partner.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|-
| '''Wiki Tu''' (Anilvinkoru) || Mid-late to late || Very large fruit, reported up to about 300 g; mild, meaty, firm flesh with good keeping and handling || Dwarf or slow-growing to about 2.5 m in the selection description, suitable for dense planting; partially self-fertile, so a nearby partner remains the safer choice. NZFGA and Waimea note that some fruit may have hollow locules.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
|}

== Practical selection guide ==

* Choose '''Unique''' when a grower wants an early, relatively self-fertile starting point and medium fruit with useful keeping quality; add a compatible selection if space allows.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
* Choose '''Kakariki''' or '''Anatoki''' for an earlier harvest position, with a flowering partner and acceptance of the added pollination-planning requirement.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>
* Choose '''Kaiteri''' for a prolific early crop and large smooth fruit where a vigorous plant fits; choose '''Pounamu''' when dark skin, aromatic flavor, and storage are more important than compactness.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup>
* Choose '''Opal Star''' where a compact habit, aromatic fruit, and storage interest outweigh uncertainty over its relative season between regional descriptions; choose '''Triumph''' where late fruit, handling, and a Mammoth pollinizer role are useful.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-3|[3]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>
* Choose '''Wiki Tu''' for very large fruit and a smaller, slow-growing tree, but plan for a pollination partner and allow for the reported variation in internal locules.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-2|[2]]]</sup>

Availability, plant-protection status, and nursery supply are time-sensitive. Confirm current legal and local availability before treating a named selection as obtainable, and do not assume a trade name or local nursery label is equivalent to a documented cultivar.<sup>[[#cite_note-1|[1]]]</sup><sup>[[#cite_note-5|[5]]]</sup>

== References ==

* <span id="cite_note-1"></span>[[#cite_ref-1|↑]] '''[1]''' [https://feijoa.org.nz/resources/varieties NZ Feijoa Growers Association: Feijoa varieties] (accessed 7 October 2026).

* <span id="cite_note-2"></span>[[#cite_ref-2|↑]] '''[2]''' [https://tuigarden.co.nz/inspiration-hub/ideas-and-inspiration/feijoa-variety-favourites/ Tui: Feijoa variety favourites] (accessed 7 October 2026).

* <span id="cite_note-3"></span>[[#cite_ref-3|↑]] '''[3]''' [https://mro.massey.ac.nz/bitstreams/8047343a-5b70-4472-80a6-09cd679d8196/download Abdul-Aziz Salim Al-Harthy: Postharvest treatments to extend the storage life of feijoa (Acca sellowiana), Massey University PhD thesis, 2010] (accessed 7 October 2026).

* <span id="cite_note-4"></span>[[#cite_ref-4|↑]] '''[4]''' [https://agris.fao.org/search/en/providers/122535/records/65df109cb766d82b18000cd3 Ramírez and Kallarackal: Feijoa (Acca sellowiana) pollination: A review] (2017 abstract and record) (accessed 7 October 2026).

* <span id="cite_note-5"></span>[[#cite_ref-5|↑]] '''[5]''' [https://commercial.waimeanurseries.co.nz/assets/Uploads/Comm-Feijoas/WAIMEA-Feijoa-Brochure.pdf Waimea Nurseries: Feijoa varieties for fruit growers] (source cited in the preserved hosted snapshot; accessed 7 October 2026).

* <span id="cite_note-6"></span>[[#cite_ref-6|↑]] '''[6]''' [https://ourwayoflife.co.nz/16-feijoa-varieties-to-plant-for-your-ideal-harvest-time/ NZ Life & Leisure: 16 feijoa varieties to plant for your ideal harvest time] (source cited in the preserved hosted snapshot; accessed 7 October 2026).

[[Category:Fruits]]
[[Category:Myrtaceae]]
[[Category:Acca]]