When i lived in Watsonville, also a Sunset zone 17 they did very well, fruiting dependable. Al

Yes - friends grow these very successfully in San Jose. They do cover with burlap on any nights there might be frost.

We (SJ) had a strawberry guava that did very well every year, but we cut it down last year due to problems that had nothing to do with the tree. It was a good 15-20 feet tall (how old?) and we never covered it in the winter.

I live in Danville, I have about 10 different types of trees. Most of my true tropical types (I got the seeds from India.) die over the winter but grow back. Nothing works for these, No matter how much I cover them, it seems just when I think, its warm and take the cover off, boom, the freeze comes and they are fried crisp over night. Some of my varieties (those purchased here locally) made it even through the freeze this year (2013). The one I particularly like is a type called lemon guava. These are small yellow fruits, that are very tasty. These made it just fine, fruiting all through the winter.

Am thinking about building a small three sided greehouse for my trees.

Lemon Guava's are winners here. I just bought one simply labeled "White Guava"..seems like its going to be a good one. No sure if its Mexican,Peruvian or what other varieties under the white label.

Well,I was told- "Take the white back- get the pink" So I did. Looking forward to the pink making big lemon sized fruit too.

I've got a couple real guavas, mexican and malaysian, in the ground, The ones that gets heat from a reflected wall puts out tons of fruit, the one without, hardly fruits.

I also have some of the "guavas in name only" such as lemon guava, strawberry guava, pineapple guava - they all do really well and put of a ton of fruit.

Where are you Matt? Hows the flavor on those bigger fruited Guava's?

Yeah, mine are in a spot that gets as baking hot as Hayward gets. Even a tropical Papaya has lived three years and has fruit on it there.

stanofh , I am in niles Fremont near the hills so I likely have similar weather as Hayward. I really like the flavor of the guavas fully ripened on the tree, and of course they smell amazingly good to me. I don't enjoy guavas in the store.

That sounds Great Matt. I feel a lot better about the pink like the lemon being a winner.

Its the Malaysian Red that is still chancy. But!..its in a blazing hot spot- one that keeps Hibiscus blooming just about 11 months of the year because of lots of reflected heat and direct sun.

Anyone growing one in San Francisco? I'm in Potrero which gets a lot of sun but not as much as south bay or east bay.