Here is my 1 year old Carambola Kembangan. It is nicknamed the Star Fruit Tree because when you cut the fruit it looks like a star.
Mine is a grafted variety which I am growing in a pot. I am amazed how quickly and prolifically it is flowering at the moment. It has tripled in size since I got it and is one of my best performers so far second to my panama berry.
It is twice the price of a seedling Carambola tree but life is too short for seedling fruit trees as they take much longer to fruit.
One thing about the leaves is that they always seem to be drooping. Some people make the mistake of thinking it is laking water but this is not the case and is their natural position.
I have eaten a few star fruits in my life and by far the best tasting ones were the well known varieties. They are far more juicy and the flavour is less watery and fibrous.
Another thing about star fruit is they really do crop well. They do come into Australian supermarkets on occasions but usually not for long and you really do pay for them.
Another benefit of getting a well known variety such as the Grafted Kary Star Fruit and my Kembangan Star Fruit is that you only need one. Some varieties of Star fruit will flower but not fruit due to needing another variety to cross pollinate with.
More Information on the Star Fruit (Carambolas)
Buy Carambola Star Fruit - Mail Order to your door
A picture of them fruiting from Daleys Orchard - Amazing how well they crop
Forum: Star Fruit Discussion - Pollination Problems - Problems with flowering but not setting fruit for different varieties.
Plant Tag: Carambola or Star Fruit - Find out about cultural notes, soil types and ideal conditions.
I've never tasted star fruit, but hear it has a melony taste. Do you think so? They are very expensive here, so I don't want to spend $5 and not like the taste!
ReplyDeleteAiyana
Wow Corey ... I cant believe how many flowers are on your starfruit!
ReplyDeleteno rain ... I first tried a supermarket starfruit which put me off them for years until i tasted a fresh one straight from the tree ... very refreshing and much better than any melon i've tasted.
Rich
www.happyearth.com.au
Where do u buy the dwarf Kembangan variety. Daley only has the Kara seedling which I assume means grown from seeds n so will take a long time to fruit.
ReplyDeleteYou could always put your name down for when the Kembangan or Kary grafted comes into stock. Mine isn't on specified dwarfing rootstock but I am dwarfing it by keeping it in a pot and also pruning it back.
ReplyDeleteWhat other fruit trees do you have in your collection? I am in the process of purchasing a sweet star fruit tree - it is very expensive out in california but I love collecting rare exotic fruit trees. Right now I have an atemoya, cherimoya, green mango, sapodilla, jambu, lychee, logan, guava, barbados cherry, chinese pear, jujube, fuyu persimmon, sweet tamarind and tahitian gooseberry tree. It is so exciting to watch them grow, bloom and give fruit. The star fruit tree I have on hold for me -- already have flowers and fruits on them!! Eeee -- it is so exciting collecting these rare species.
ReplyDeleteJennie :)
I have a 1.5 year old kenbangen and it has flowered many times but i have never gotten any fruit. Is there something wrong with the tree?
ReplyDeleteStarfruit is undoubtedly my favorite fruit in the world. and I'm no novice in that department. I don't know what it is but biting into a ripe carambola sends me spinning. Definately reccomend to anyone. I say that it's flavor is the the essence of botany.
ReplyDeleteJennie,
ReplyDeleteI am a person with a sincere interest in plants for their beauty in color, shape and fragrance, including tropical plants like orchids and dwarf plants. "Longwood Gardens" has a wonderful orchid room, where I could stay for hours looking at and smelling all the different orchid plants. I can imagine the joy of watching your trees bloom and fruit. I would LOVE to see your collection, do you have any pictures?
Sylvia
dear sir
ReplyDeletei want a star fruit seeds how to take it
ayomipk@gmail.com
When I lived in California, I was able to get some very nice brilliant yellow starfruit (when they taste the best) to eat at the supermarket. Unfortunately, here in Massachusetts, the supermarket chains' suppliers don't seem to know what color it should be, so they're small and green and very bitter tasting, rather than sweet and satisfying as they should be.
ReplyDelete