Couple 'astounded' by viral feijoas

Roger Corbett, from Havelock North, compares a standard feijoa with his supersized fruit. Photo / Paul Taylor

A Hawke's Bay couple are "astounded" their mammoth feijoas have gone viral on social media.

Roger Corbett and his partner Julie have two feijoa trees in Havelock North, which are producing the huge fruit.

Last night the story, which appeared in Hawke's Bay Today on Monday, had been viewed almost 120,000 times on Facebook.

"It's quite astounding," Mr Corbett said. "I would have thought there would be more newsworthy events that people would be interested in, but feijoas are big in New Zealand this time of year.

"Quite a lot of the Facebook comments are from people in Australia. It's a nostalgia thing - for people who are overseas, feijoas make them think of home."

"It's the memories feijoas evoke of childhood - the taste and the smell," Julie added.

The Bay Of Plenty New Zealand Tree Croppers previously claimed the biggest feijoa, at 233 grams.

Roger and Julie's feijoas dwarf this in comparison, with a fruit weighing in last night at 316 grams - a new record for a fruit from their trees.

Mr Corbett insisted his feijoas were better eating than the smaller and more plentiful fruit.

"They're absolutely magnificent. They've got a lot more flesh. Once you scoop out the large part where the seeds are, you're left with a lot of creamy flesh, and it's a beautiful flavour."

The couple has tended the trees for the past two years, fertilising them with sheep manure.

"People tend to ignore their feijoa trees, but if you prune them properly, and fertilise them, they'll produce better fruit," Mr Corbett said.

The season for the South American fruit generally runs from March to late June.