Starfruit

Averrhoa carambola

Family: Oxalidaceae

Tree Fruit
Full Sun

Pet & Human Safety

People: Toxic to peoplePets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Special populations

Kidney disease: UF/IFAS says people diagnosed with kidney disease should not eat carambola unless their doctor says it is safe; National Kidney Foundation says people with kidney disease should avoid starfruit (symptoms: hiccups, mental confusion, seizures, death in serious cases).

Human edibility

Edible

Edible parts

fruit (fresh; also pickled, canned, preserved, dried, in sauces, wines, jellies)

Hazardous parts

fruit - for people with kidney disease

Preparation

Not yet checked.

Hazard type

oxalic acid (UF/IFAS), neurotoxin (National Kidney Foundation; not named)

Hazard route

ingestion

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

This is a human hazard (kidney disease), not a pet-toxicity finding: see the pet-toxicity notes. Pet toxicity itself is not checked for this species.

Not yet directly checked against ASPCA's toxic-or-non-toxic-plants database under every synonym. No verdict is given because this plant has not been researched yet. That is not a confirmed absence, so do not treat it as cleared for pets. see the hazard information below for the separate food-safety picture.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: Not checked: no zone number given by UF/IFAS MG269, only damage temperatures: growth stops below 65°F; young leaves die at 30-32°F; mature trees killed at 20-24°F.
Water needs: low
Mature size: 22-33 ft tall, 20-25 ft spread (UF/IFAS MG269).
Where it comes from: Southeast Asia; grown in Florida and other frost-free/near-frost-free regions.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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