- Round/oblate fruit 5-15cm in diameter.
- Smooth, copper, purple, green coloured skin.
- Flesh is white, soft, juicy and arranged in eight segments surrounding hard, brown, glossy seeds.
- The fruit has a star shaped pattern in the cross section.
- Flavour is sweet and refreshing.
- 3-5 seeds.
An evergreen, reaching up to 15m in height, the star apple tree has dark green leaves which have silky, golden brown undersurfaces, bearing small purple/white flowers.
Star apples prefer a humid, tropical climate with abundant rainfall, but will also grow well in a cooler, drier climate. Preferred temperature ranges from 5°-35°C. Trees prefer full sun from an early age for maximum vigour in a deep clay loam with top soils rich in humus.
As far as the yield of the plants are concerned, three year old cultivars can produce up to 50kg of fruit in one season whilst mature trees can produce up to 500kg of fruit in a season.
The star apple originated in the tropical Central Americas and around the West Indies.
Botanical Name: Chrysophyllum caindo (Sapotaceae)
Alternative Names: Caimito
Health Benefits
Star apples are a good source of vitamin C and dietary fibre.
100g of Star Apple yields the following:
- Calories – 67
- Total Carbs – 14.65g
- Protein – 2.33g
- Dietary Fibre – 3.3g
- Calcium – 14.65mg
- Iron – 2.33mg
Selecting tips
Select firm, smooth fruit, free from blemishes. Fruit is ripe when it yields to gentle pressure at the stem end.
Simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the flesh to use in fruit salads, cheese platters, ice cream and sorbet.
Storage: Ripen at room temperature and store in the refrigerator crisper for a short time.