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Averrhoa carambola

Carambola · Starfruit · Blimbing

Family OxalidaceaeGenus Averrhoa

A dense pink branching spray of small cup-shaped flowers and buds borne on a woody stem
FlowerTauʻolungaCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
treePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, TreePLANTS Database
Flower
White, pink, redFlora of China
Native range
Jawa, Maluku, SulawesiGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Flora of China — Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven and Hong Deyuan (eds.); GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Star fruit, for its shape when cut. It contains a neurotoxin, caramboxin, that healthy kidneys filter out; people with kidney failure or on dialysis can be badly poisoned, in a few cases fatally. Wikipedia: Averrhoa carambola

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 42 days to germinate.

75% germination in 42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Averrhoa p. 17Public domain
Show the original text
Averrhoa (Oxalidaceae). A. carambola required either light at 70 or a prior 3 m at 40 for germination. The data were 70L(6/8 in 6th w), 70D(none), 40-70L(3/5 in 4th w), and 40-70D(2/3 in 4th w). When the sample in 70D was shifted to 70L after 10 w, 5/8 germ. in 10-12 d.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Averrhoa p. 17. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 8, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 28 days.

67% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Averrhoa p. 17Public domain
Show the original text
Averrhoa (Oxalidaceae). A. carambola required either light at 70 or a prior 3 m at 40 for germination. The data were 70L(6/8 in 6th w), 70D(none), 40-70L(3/5 in 4th w), and 40-70D(2/3 in 4th w). When the sample in 70D was shifted to 70L after 10 w, 5/8 germ. in 10-12 d.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Averrhoa p. 17. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 8, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 28 days.

60% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Averrhoa p. 17Public domain
Show the original text
Averrhoa (Oxalidaceae). A. carambola required either light at 70 or a prior 3 m at 40 for germination. The data were 70L(6/8 in 6th w), 70D(none), 40-70L(3/5 in 4th w), and 40-70D(2/3 in 4th w). When the sample in 70D was shifted to 70L after 10 w, 5/8 germ. in 10-12 d.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Averrhoa p. 17. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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