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Acca sellowiana cultivars and selections

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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.[1][2]

Description[edit | edit source]

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.[1][2]

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.[5]

Cultivation[edit | edit source]

Pollination and planting combinations[edit | edit source]

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.[4] 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.[2]

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.[1][2]

Choosing for site and handling[edit | edit source]

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.[1][2]

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.[1][5]

Flowering, fruiting, and harvest[edit | edit source]

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.[3]

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.[1][2]

Fruit and uses[edit | edit source]

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.[1][2][5]
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.[1][2]
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.[1][2][5]
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.[1][2]
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.[1][5]
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.[1][2][5]
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.[1][5]
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.[1][2][6]
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.[1][2]
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.[1][2][3][5]
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.[1][2][5]
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.[1][2][5]

Practical selection guide[edit | edit source]

  • 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.[1][2]
  • Choose Kakariki or Anatoki for an earlier harvest position, with a flowering partner and acceptance of the added pollination-planning requirement.[1][2]
  • 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.[1]
  • 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.[1][2][3][5]
  • 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.[1][2]

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.[1][5]

References[edit | edit source]

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