Starfruit – Sri Kembangan Seedling

Description

Starfruit/Carambola (Averrhoa carambola) is delicious sweet and juicy fruit, which as the name suggests is in a comical star shaped and usually tastes somewhere between a granny smith apple (but less tart) and a green grape.

• The Sri Kembangan variety is of Malaysian origin, known for its deeply coloured highly sweet fruit. One of the sweetest varieties.
• Suitable for frost-free and well draining locations
• Grows well in a container
• Plants are approximately 20-25cm in size and over a year old.
• Two plants increase fruit set but only one is usually required for fruit.

They have been fruited in Gisborne, Tauranga, Auckland and the Far North, and likely in other places I haven’t heard of. Temperatures around -3c will likely result in damage to the trees so they should be protected from frost, especially while young. I recommend growing these in containers for at least a couple years for added hardiness and then planting in the ground if you’re in a warmer part of New Zealand, in a place protected from frosts and well-draining. While they may not grow true to type, they are usually very similar.

There is still hope if you’re in colder areas as these can be grown in containers indefinitely and still be productive – just move them to a sheltered location during the winter and bring them out during the Spring to enjoy the heat. Otherwise they would be very suited to greenhouse growing.

For more information about growing starfruit in New Zealand, please visit our growing recommendations.