Myrciaria floribunda

Guavaberry Fruits

Guavaberry trees are slow growing and can reach between 12 and 20 metres tall.[3] They have red-brown branches and small pink and white flowers. The fruit, which are roughly half the size of cherries, are yellow-orange, dark-red, or purple with tanginess of a guava containing a small amount of translucent flesh surrounding a stone. Taste of the fruit has recognizable fair sweetness.[4] The fruit is rich in Vitamin C, with the darker coloured fruit having higher concentrations.[5]

There is great genetic variability within the species, and Myrciaria floribunda can vary in form, structure and appearance, and that has given rise to a large number of botanical synonyms.[6][7]

Guavaberry trees can be found growing wild in Central America, South America, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Leeward Islands, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, and the Windward Islands. The guavaberry has also been introduced to Florida, Hawaii, Bermuda, Philippines, and Tanzania.[8][4]

Guavaberry Emporium, Sint Maarten

Guavaberry is used to make jams and drinks. Guavaberry liqueur, which is made from rum, is a common Christmas drink on many of the islands, particularly in Sint Maarten and the Virgin Islands.[4] The colonists from Denmark and Holland found it could flavor rum by infusion similar to infused schnapps.[9] In the Dominican Republic it is associated with the eastern town of San Pedro de Macorís which has a large population of Eastern Caribbean descent.[10]