Comments on: Guavas http://ntsavanna.com/guavas/ Learning a savanna in Panama, plant by plant Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:13:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: mary http://ntsavanna.com/guavas/comment-page-1/#comment-10555 mary Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:11:16 +0000 http://ntsavanna.com/?p=205#comment-10555 Thank you so much, Marcus, for your informative and helpful comment. Right now it's the rainy season here, which means a very busy routine maintenance schedule, but I've made a note of your comment on my calendar to investigate later in the year. Terrific thoughts. Thank you so much, Marcus, for your informative and helpful comment. Right now it’s the rainy season here, which means a very busy routine maintenance schedule, but I’ve made a note of your comment on my calendar to investigate later in the year. Terrific thoughts.

]]> By: Marcus Toole http://ntsavanna.com/guavas/comment-page-1/#comment-10550 Marcus Toole Sun, 02 Oct 2011 02:11:03 +0000 http://ntsavanna.com/?p=205#comment-10550 Have you tasted the fruit?  How do they compare.   I'm an American living in Canada with a MS specializing in plant taxonomy.  It is not at all uncommon for different soil characteristics to result in slight differences in morphology within the same species.  Sometimes you get natural varieties going as well with slightly different habitat requirements.  It is common for some species to grow smaller leaves and be hairier when they are growing under stress.  Under stress the plant is less able to recover after predation by herbivores so it invests more energy to protective mechanisms such as hairs.  Some species will tend to be more hairy in situation where they are frequently under water stress.  Many plants will take on a reddish color if their is a potassium deficiency.  The difference in color may have something to do with availability of nutrients.  It would be interesting to put some manure or other source of fertilizer around the tree on the slope and see if their are any changes. It would also be interesting to propagate it and see how genetically identical offspring look growing in different locations on the property. If they start to look like the other guavas you will know that the different morphology results from differences in the environment, it the morphology remains the same as the parrent plant, then you will know that the differences are genetic. Have you tasted the fruit?  How do they compare.   I’m an American living in Canada with a MS specializing in plant taxonomy.  It is not at all uncommon for different soil characteristics to result in slight differences in morphology within the same species.  Sometimes you get natural varieties going as well with slightly different habitat requirements.  It is common for some species to grow smaller leaves and be hairier when they are growing under stress.  Under stress the plant is less able to recover after predation by herbivores so it invests more energy to protective mechanisms such as hairs.  Some species will tend to be more hairy in situation where they are frequently under water stress.  Many plants will take on a reddish color if their is a potassium deficiency.  The difference in color may have something to do with availability of nutrients.  It would be interesting to put some manure or other source of fertilizer around the tree on the slope and see if their are any changes. It would also be interesting to propagate it and see how genetically identical offspring look growing in different locations on the property. If they start to look like the other guavas you will know that the different morphology results from differences in the environment, it the morphology remains the same as the parrent plant, then you will know that the differences are genetic.

]]> By: mary http://ntsavanna.com/guavas/comment-page-1/#comment-4163 mary Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:50:43 +0000 http://ntsavanna.com/?p=205#comment-4163 Hello Tom, As I understand it, many trees in the Myrtaceae family have peeling bark, and it's certainly normal for guava trees. This characteristic helps the tree shed vines that want to climb up its trunk. I've read that vines and lianas can overwhelm a long-lived tree. Once the vine leaves reach the crown of the tree, they begin to compete with the leaves of the tree itself for sunlight, and of course the root of the vine is in the soil right there with the tree roots, so there is competition for nutrients as well. I know from experience that peeling bark will indeed shed a climbing vine. I once foolishly planted a vanilla orchid at the base of a eucalyptus tree. The orchid grew up the tree for awhile and then, suddenly, it was on the ground with a strip of bark at its side! Mary Hello Tom,
As I understand it, many trees in the Myrtaceae family have peeling bark, and it’s certainly normal for guava trees. This characteristic helps the tree shed vines that want to climb up its trunk. I’ve read that vines and lianas can overwhelm a long-lived tree. Once the vine leaves reach the crown of the tree, they begin to compete with the leaves of the tree itself for sunlight, and of course the root of the vine is in the soil right there with the tree roots, so there is competition for nutrients as well.

I know from experience that peeling bark will indeed shed a climbing vine. I once foolishly planted a vanilla orchid at the base of a eucalyptus tree. The orchid grew up the tree for awhile and then, suddenly, it was on the ground with a strip of bark at its side!

Mary

]]> By: Tom in San Diego http://ntsavanna.com/guavas/comment-page-1/#comment-4155 Tom in San Diego Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:23:49 +0000 http://ntsavanna.com/?p=205#comment-4155 Why does the bark on guava trees peel? I have a young Pink Thai guava tree that has peeling bark. I thought there might be something wrong with it. It sounds like this is normal for guava trees. Why does the bark on guava trees peel? I have a young Pink Thai guava tree that has peeling bark. I thought there might be something wrong with it. It sounds like this is normal for guava trees.

]]> By: mary http://ntsavanna.com/guavas/comment-page-1/#comment-392 mary Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:04:08 +0000 http://ntsavanna.com/?p=205#comment-392 Agro, I can imagine a child loving to peel this bark, and what an rich imagination that child had to think it might be a disease of the tree! The Myrtaceae have brought me great satisfaction this season - ever since so many of them went into bloom last February - all with their small white petals and many, many stamens. I've become so fond of them because they're so easy to recognize and so attractive. Well, the guava plant itself may not be that gorgeous, but most of the Myrtaceae are. Plus, so many of them produce good fruit rich in vitamin C. I didn't even get into the health benefits of guava. As far as species, well, yes. Far smarter people than I have puzzled over that "problem." We humans always trying to find our little boxes for things in nature. Thanks for commenting, Agro. Agro,

I can imagine a child loving to peel this bark, and what an rich imagination that child had to think it might be a disease of the tree!

The Myrtaceae have brought me great satisfaction this season – ever since so many of them went into bloom last February – all with their small white petals and many, many stamens. I’ve become so fond of them because they’re so easy to recognize and so attractive. Well, the guava plant itself may not be that gorgeous, but most of the Myrtaceae are. Plus, so many of them produce good fruit rich in vitamin C. I didn’t even get into the health benefits of guava.

As far as species, well, yes. Far smarter people than I have puzzled over that “problem.” We humans always trying to find our little boxes for things in nature.

Thanks for commenting, Agro.

]]> By: Agro Rachmatullah http://ntsavanna.com/guavas/comment-page-1/#comment-391 Agro Rachmatullah Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:23:28 +0000 http://ntsavanna.com/?p=205#comment-391 A very instructive, hands-on article. The bark photo reminded me strongly of a Guava my neighbor next door had but has since been chopped. I liked peeling it when I was a child and thought that it was a disease the plant had. I wish it were still there so I could check the Myrtaceae characteristics you listed here with my own hands. The concept of species is indeed baffling and I have many times opened and reread the Wikipedia page, still bewildered until now :). A very instructive, hands-on article. The bark photo reminded me strongly of a Guava my neighbor next door had but has since been chopped. I liked peeling it when I was a child and thought that it was a disease the plant had. I wish it were still there so I could check the Myrtaceae characteristics you listed here with my own hands.

The concept of species is indeed baffling and I have many times opened and reread the Wikipedia page, still bewildered until now :) .

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