How to grow Carambola

Carambola trees stay active all year in the tropics and need a regular supply of water and NPK + trace elements and calcium fertilisers. Fruit size and quality is quickly affected by drought stress and nutrient deficiency. Regular pruning is necessary to maintain tree size and allow light and air penetration. The trees respond very well to heavy pruning, often flowering again immediately after pruning.

Carambola prefers a wet, humid climate or climates with a distinct dry season. It likes a well-drained, clay-loam soil with a pH of 5.5 – 6.5 and will withstand some waterlogging. It cannot tolerate drought conditions or salt.

As Carambola is hardy, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

These estimates for how long Carambola takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

When cut across it shows a 5-pointed (sometimes 6-pointed or 7-pointed) star shape, hence the name star fruit.

The tart types of star fruit are used to polish metal, brass in particular.¹ Star fruit juice can be used to bleach rust stains from cloth.¹

The wood is medium hard and sometimes used in construction.¹

People who have been diagnosed with kidney disease should not eat star fruit unless their doctor says that it is safe for them.²

Star fruit, Coromandel gooseberry, Kamranga, Five finger, Bilimbing, Yang tao

¹ hort.purdue.edu.

² University of Florida Extension

³ fast-growing-trees.com/Starfruit-Tree.htm