Caimito (Star Apple)
Cut it crosswise and there's the star. Sweet, milky flesh on a handsome tree with bronze-backed leaves.
Chrysophyllum cainito
A gorgeous two-tone tree with a star in every sliced fruit.
Why it works here
Caimito is stunning even before the fruit, the leaves are glossy green on top and shimmering coppery-gold underneath, so a breeze makes the whole tree flash two colors. Cut the round fruit crosswise and the seed cells form a clean star, which is a delight for kids and guests, and the pulp is white, soft, and milky-sweet. It needs one of your warmest, most protected microclimates on the Treasure Coast, so I use it as a specimen where a wall or canopy buffers the cold.
Care
Water new trees every other day the first week, then one to two times a week for the first few months, and water mature trees during dry stretches through bloom and fruit development. Feed with compost and balanced organic fertilizer in the warm season and mulch well, correcting any leaf-yellowing on our alkaline soil with organic micronutrients. Prune yearly to hold it to a harvestable 8 to 12 ft, and shelter it from cold wind. Buy a grafted or air-layered tree if you can, so you are not waiting a decade for fruit.
Common problems
Eating it unripe: this is the big one, immature fruit is astringent and inedible from a gummy latex in the flesh, only eat it when the skin is fully colored, slightly soft, and slightly wrinkled.
Cold and wind: a cold snap with strong wind can defoliate the tree, so site it in a warm, sheltered spot.
Minor issues: red algae (Cephaleuros) can cause some twig dieback and fungi cause leaf spots, prune out affected wood and keep the canopy open and airy rather than reaching for sprays.
Common questions
Why does everyone say do not squeeze the skin while eating?
Because the peel and any unripe flesh hold a sticky latex that is bitter and gums up your lips. Cut it open and spoon out only the soft white pulp, avoiding the rind.
Purple or green type, which is better?
Both are good. The purple-skinned type is the classic star apple look, the green-skinned type is sometimes sweeter. Either works here, just get a grafted tree of a known selection.
How long until fruit?
If you buy a grafted or air-layered tree, often just one to two years. A seedling can take five to ten, which is why I steer people toward a vegetatively propagated tree.
Interested in a caimito (star apple) in your landscape?
We plan, install, and care for it. Start with a paid consultation.