Starfruit – Kari Seedling

Starfruit (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.

This variety, Kari, is a favourite as it is one of the sweetest but still packs a good flavour described as green grape, pear, and citrus-y. It is similar to the Fwang Tung variety except has no sourness when fully ripe.

Seedlings don’t usually grow exactly true, but are generally very close. They are typically pretty precocious and seedlings usually fruit in 3-5 years, though this could be longer if you’re not on the North Island.

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.

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.