Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Southeastern Asia
United States, Southeastern United States
Types
Starfruit
Rhapidophyllum hystrix
Number of Varieties
215
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Cold Regions, Subtropical climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-146-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-5
12-6
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
610.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Pink, Rose, Violet
White, Light Yellow, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Orange, Light Yellow, Lemon yellow, Yellow green, Gold
Dark Red, Brown, Sienna
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblovate
Needle like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Frost
Wet Site, Drought, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Requires watering in the growing season
Needs small amount of water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Prune in winter, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Prune to control growth, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Frost
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Rabbits, Small mammals
Allergy
Kidney Stone
drowsiness, Scratches
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
bank hedging, Ornamental use
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification, Ethnobotanic
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Anti-oxidant, Antioxidants, High blood pressure, Nutrients
Aging, Frostbite
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Application in Handicrafts, Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
AVERRHOA carambola
RHAPIDOPHYLLUM hystrix
Common Name
Carambola, Starfruit
Needle Palm, Porcupine plant
In Hindi
carambola पेड़
सुई ताड़
In German
Sternfrucht Baum
Nadel -Palme
In French
arbre carambole
palmier aiguille
In Spanish
árbol de carambola
palmera aguja
In Greek
carambola δέντρο
βελόνα φοίνικα
In Portuguese
árvore de carambola
palmeira agulha
In Polish
karambola drzewo
Igła palma
In Latin
carambola ligno
acus palma
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Oxalidales
Arecales
Family
Oxalidaceae
Arecaceae
Genus
Averrhoa
Rhapidophyllum
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Corypheae
Subfamily
-
Coryphoideae
Number of Species
18010
1
27800
👆🏻