Purple strawberry guava
StarPsidium cattleianum
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Brazilian and broader Latin American folk medicine the leaves and fruit are used as astringent and antidiarrhoeal remedies, prepared as decoctions or infusions for haemorrhage, diarrhoea and colic (PFAF, 2023). The essential oil of the leaves, dominated by beta-caryophyllene, shows documented activity against antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacteria.
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Botanical Description
Psidium cattleianum, the strawberry guava or cattley guava, is a highly branched evergreen shrub or small tree in the Myrtaceae family native to the coastal forests of eastern Brazil. Plants typically reach 2 to 6 metres tall, occasionally up to 13 metres, with smooth, peeling, reddish-brown to greenish bark and opposite, glossy, leathery, dark green obovate leaves with prominent midribs. White flowers about 2 to 3 centimetres across are borne singly or in small clusters in the leaf axils, each with five petals and numerous slender stamens. The globose, dark red to purplish (or yellow in some forms) fruits are 2 to 4 centimetres in diameter, with sweet, aromatic, strawberry-flavoured flesh surrounding many small hard seeds. Widely planted in subtropical and tropical regions for its fruit, it has naturalised across the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is regarded as one of the most invasive woody plants in Hawaii and the Mascarenes.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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