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Cherry guava (Psidium cattleyanum)

Cherry guava is an invasive woody weed that has naturalised in coastal Queensland and New South Wales, including along the northern NSW coast. It can form dense thickets and out-compete native plants, changing rainforest biodiversity and structure.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Brazil and Uruguay.

Established in: QLD, NSW, VIC, WA.

Other names: strawberry guava, red guava, porpay, small guava.

Best time to act: Flowering occurs throughout the year, more prominently in spring and summer, and fruit forms from late summer into mid-autumn; the listed herbicide application methods can be used at any time of year.

Identification

  • An evergreen shrub or tree, commonly 1–3 m tall but capable of reaching 6 m.
  • Leaves occur in pairs on short stalks and are oval, shiny, smooth-edged and up to 7 cm long.
  • Flowers are fluffy and white, up to 2.5 cm wide, usually single at the base of a leaf stalk.
  • Round, fleshy berries turn from green to purplish-red as they mature and contain up to 70 kidney-shaped seeds.
  • Mature bark is grey to reddish-brown, with outer layers peeling away to expose inner bark.
  • Look-alike: Brazilian guava (Psidium guineense) and guava (Psidium guajava) have larger leaves with prominent veins.
  • Look-alike: Cherry guava is distinguished from other guava varieties by its purplish-red fruit.

Where it grows

In Australia it occurs in coastal areas, including many locations along the east coast and from Tweed Heads to Taree in northern NSW, growing in disturbed sites and in habitats such as rainforest floors, rainforest edges and scrub.

Why it matters

  • It infests forests, woodlands, forest margins and grasslands in tropical and subtropical areas.
  • Shade tolerance allows it to compete with rainforest understorey plants and spread into forests.
  • It can out-compete other species and form a monoculture, changing forest biodiversity and structure.
  • It has become a significant environmental weed on Lord Howe Island.

How it spreads

  • It reproduces from seed and by root suckers; suckers allow infestations to thicken and spread locally.
  • Birds, cattle and feral pigs eat the berries and spread seeds in their droppings; pig rooting and trampling can help new plants establish.
  • People have spread it through intentional planting and dumping garden waste in unauthorised areas.

Control options

  • Manually uproot small seedlings and saplings where practical, taking care to remove roots because plants can reshoot.
  • Avoid physical removal in large infestations unless roots can be removed and destroyed.
  • Herbicide methods listed for control are cut stump, basal bark and stem injection; options include fluroxypyr, glyphosate, and picloram with aminopyralid.
  • Check treated plants for regrowth from stumps and roots and treat as necessary; read and follow the current product label and any permit, or contact the local council weeds officer for technical advice.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Do not dump garden waste in unauthorised areas, as this has contributed to the plant’s spread.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • Queensland: Biosecurity Act 2014 (Qld), administered by Biosecurity Queensland (13 25 23)
  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • Western Australia: Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (WA), administered by the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources