The Starfruit is from Malaysia and Indonesia, now common throughout tropical Asia and the neo-tropics. Most of the world's commercial cultivation occurs in Brazil, the West Indies, and Malaysia. The Carambola is believed to have originated in Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, but it has been cultivated in southeast Asia and Malaysia for many centuries.

The Carambola is a slow-growing, short-trunked evergreen tree with a much-branched, bushy canopy that is broad and rounded. Mature trees seldom exceed 25-30 feet in height, in favorable conditions, and 20-25 feet in spread. Carambolas do best in a frost-free location. They are tolerant of wind except for those that are hot and dry. The tree needs full sun. Averrhoa carambola can bear so much fruit the branches will break if they aren’t harvested.  The Carambola needs moisture for best growth. In a spot to its liking Carambolas make handsome ornamentals.

Fruit 5 - 6 inches long.

Bright yellow skin and flesh.

Juicy, firm flesh with a sweet rich flavor, few seeds.

Related Species: Bilimbi (Averrhoa bilimbi L.)

     The Carambola fruit, as the name would suggest, is shaped like a star. Attractive star shape when cut in cross-section slices. The skin is thin, light to dark yellow and smooth with a waxy cuticle. The flesh is light yellow to yellow, translucent, crisp and very juicy, without fiber. Fruit best when ripened on the tree, but will ripen slowly if picked before fully ripe. Green or ripe fruits are easily damaged and must be handled with great care. Ripe Carambolas are eaten out-of-hand, sliced and served in salads or used as a garnish. They are also cooked in puddings, tarts, stews and curries.

        There are multiple varieties of Starfruit, both sweet and sour. Sweet varieties tend to be lighter in color and smaller, about five inches long and three inches wide. Sour varieties are larger and more orange in color.

The Carambola is classified as subtropical because mature trees can tolerate temperatures as low as 27° F for short periods of time with little damage. Like many other subtropicals, however, young plants are more susceptible to frost and can be killed at 32° F. Carambolas can be severely damaged by flooding or prevailing hot, dry winds. The small trees make good container plants. 

       The fragrant, pink to lavender flowers are 3/8 inch in diameter, perfect, and borne in clusters in axils of leaves on young branches, or on older branches without leaves. There are several flushes of bloom throughout the year. 

          The spirally arranged, alternate leaves are 6 - 10 inches long, with 5 - 11 nearly opposite, ovate-oblong leaflets that are 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches in length. They are soft, medium-green, and smooth on the upper surface, faintly hairy and whitish on the underside. The leaflets are sensitive to light and more or less inclined to to fold together at night or when the tree is shaken or abruptly shocked.

ATTENTION USA BIDDERS!

We ship via USPS Mondays-Wednesday with Delivery confirmation.

     All live plants if shipped bare-root are wrapped in moist sphagnum moss to ensure the plant's healthy transit to you. 

All live plants are Inspected By USDA Plant Inspectors before they are shipped to insure you get healthy pest free plants and seeds.

All plant materials are required by LAW to inspected and certified by USDA prior to export Hawaii to the US Mainland.

After Inspection, USDA stamps released for export Hawaii to the US Mainland. All items are delivered to USDA Inspection Station at Honolulu International airport.

USDA Certification charge is included in Shipping and Handling @ $5 fee per item/species.

There is a packing and custom boxing fee.

Last and usually least is USPS postage (shipping)

ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS!

We can ship certified live plants to the US only. Only Domestic Shipping and Handling includes USDA Certification.

We ship Seeds Internationally.

All International shipments are at Buyer's Risk. Please spend no more more than you can lose!

Proper Permits and Documents are the BUYER's responsibility. Please request any documents prior to shipping.

For foreign customers, please check your laws concerning permitting and customs, additional shipping and handling costs may apply.

The additional charge for any Phytosanitary Certificate is not included in this offer.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON LIVE PLANTS is available only under these conditions!

All international orders are shipped at the BUYER's RISK  (shipped with or without documents) and no refunds or replacements are offered for Dead On Arrival, loss, confiscation, Customs Seizure, unanticipated charges, etc.

We will ship once a week - ON or BEFORE WEDNESDAYS, because of the special stamps needed to ship plants and cuttings to you.  This can only be done at the Dept. of Agriculture.  If payments are not met before that MONDAY, your items will be shipped the following week and lose the combined discount opportunity. Non-paying bidders may receive negative feedback and will be reported as an unpaid item to eBay.

After you purchase After you Receive your Items.

There is the risk when you grow plants that they may die. LIVE PLANTS are PERISHABLE, guaranteed not to live forever. DO NOT expect any live plant to be GUARANTEED to remain alive. Plants are NOT GUARANTEED TO SURVIVE after you begin Care! From delivery confirmation, you have only 48 hours from delivery confirmation to make any claim.

If you are dissatisfied with the item for any reason, please contact me before leaving a negative or neutral comment.

I want you to be satisfied!

Mahalo iâ `oe no ke kipa `ana mai. E kipa mai hou!

Rare Seeds

Fresh Highest Quality

Seller warrants seed to be of the variety and quantity advertised. Safe delivery is guaranteed and seeds lost or damaged during shipment will be replaced at seller's expense. Claims must be made within 7 days of shipment. All other replacements, refunds, returns and exchanges will be made at the sole discretion of the seller.

  Seed is a live product which depends on many important related grower skills such as proper planting time, seed depth, type of soil, irrigation, proper use of fertilizers, weed controls, fungicides, insecticides, disease free soil, and reasonable weather conditions during the growing period. Germination is affected by such factors as temperature, moisture content, light intensity and contamination of planting media. These factors are totally out of the seller's control and are the buyer's responsibility and risk. Consequentially, the seller cannot unconditionally guarantee seed to perform properly regardless of conditions or the buyer's methods or mistakes.

Ma ha lo & A l o h a ! !