~Starfruit~ 

Averrhoa carambola L.

Oxalidaceae

CARAMBOLA

cv: Hoku

Selected by the University of Hawaii.

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!

Shipping

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.

Payment

We accept online payments only through PayPal, Cash payments are only acceptable for in-person payments and cash-on-delivery (COD). Cash payment can not be sent through the mail.

Please only one Paypal payment. SO THE COMBINED SHIPPING RULE WILL CAN BE USED. Late or Multiple PayPal payments are NOT eligible for any discount.

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.

COMBINED SHIPPING POLICY

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPINGis not included in this offer. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING ON LIVE PLANTS on a case by case basis.

We will combine shipping for auctions won on the same week paid with same PayPal payment.

This policy is good for auction items bought and paid for in the week ending MONDAY.

We ship on Tuesdays.

Payment must be received within 4 days of the auction ending. 

Combined Discounts Won Auctions

For 2-3 winning auctions, the combined discount is 10% of the total Shipping and Handling charges.

For 4-7 winning auctions, the combined discount is 20% of the total Shipping and Handling charges.

For 7+ winning auctions, the combined discount is 30% of the total Shipping and Handling charges.

As each order is packed and prepared separately you will pay the quoted S/H charges individually per item. If you buy the same species in that item it does calculate out the discount (i.e.: additional items)

My stores' combined shipping is built in for same items rather than a varied selection. Domestic S/H includes postage, USDA certification and inspection, proper packing and delivery to Airport for prompt delivery. I can't really change any of these. If you want one of this and one of that, it is hard to discount much as each different species requires it's own prep, packing, then at USDA each has to be unwrapped and inspected then repacked. USDA requires me to clean and prepare every last piece before we drive them to the Inspection Station on the other side of the island. It takes my wife and I, 2-3 days to pack items and get ready to ship. The whole next day we drive around the island and get inspected (2-3 hours), then drive to the Airport Post Office to drop off. It takes the same work with the same type item if you can understand.

Before you purchase.

When you order a plant we assume you are prepared to care for it. It is your responsibility to know how to care for the plant. Do some research before they arrive or seek experienced help.

 Small plants need protection from many things, wind, sun, dry-out. They do well just in the garage or living room. They need good light but not sunlight (full sun will burn small plants). Small pots dry-out easily. Just sitting in a shallow tray of water works well. The idea is to keep the plants from dehydrating.

After you Receive your Items

 Be careful if you decide to re-pot. Re-potting voids any warranty. Plants are easily damaged with new/different mix. Use NO fertilizers (this may kill your plants). Proper care is critical upon arrival. Live Plants are NOT GUARANTEED to survive under your care. DO NOT expect any live plant to be GUARANTEED to remain alive. Plants are NOT GUARANTEED TO SURVIVE after you begin Care! Live arrival is guaranteed, eternal survival is up to you.

 IF YOU DO NOT PROVIDE PROPER CARE, Please DON'T EXPECT plant to be GUARANTEED after it perishes.

NO REPLACEMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED IF YOU HAVE RE-POTTED THE PLANT.

Please Do NOT email me a week after potting your plant, and make a claim it arrived damaged. If you re-pot your plant after delivery, all warranties are voided and no replacement is offered. All photos must be as arrived in original condition as received (in the box and packed as delivered).

Not every plant that I grow survives, and I am aware of that and accept the risk when I order. This is the risk that you as the buyer accept, because there is no way to know what kind of conditions it will endure in the trip to your door. My responsibility ends when a live plant is delivered to your door.

You are agreeing to these terms when you make this purchase from this listing.

LIVE PLANTS ARE PERISHABLE.

US orders ONLY are GUARANTEED for LIVE ARRIVAL . 

All International orders are shipped at the BUYER's RISK!

From delivery confirmation, you have only 48 hours from delivery confirmation to make any claim.

All claims need to be supported with Photos of the damaged plant(s) as packed/unpacked, the box if damaged, the packing materials and any documents.

I am very reasonable and understanding, anything can happen to small plants in transit, for this reason not insurable.

The expense to send it to you is most of your payment. To send any replacements, I try to piggy back with your next order.

Replacement is not an option for CUSTOMS SEIZURE.

ALL OF MY ITEMS ARE SHIPPED USDA CERTIFIED WITHIN THE U.S. - USDA and USPS fees are included in the actual cost of shipping and Handling.

Please do not leave a 1 or 2 in my detailed seller ratings for postage fees or any reason really because I will block you from any further purchases.

Please contact me before eBay if you have any issue. I am the one who can help you. Do not open any case for any reason really because I will block you from any further purchases.

I ship items the best and least expensive option. These are coming from Hawaii. The only thing inexpensive here in Hawaii are my items!! I do ship all my items promptly via best method. If you feel like the combined shipping fee is wrong, please wait to be invoiced and check back with me! I value your business and will work diligently to keep you satisfied. I am very generous and reasonable with reasonable people, just ask.

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 ! !