Hi Willy, wow that looks really weird! I have never seen anything like it. I have about a three or four year old start fruit tree but it hasn't had any fruit on it. Below is the write-up from IFAS on potential pests. And at the bottom is a link to a description of a relatively-newly discovered new scale that preys on carambola. Maybe someone here will have some personal experience and be able to help you narrow it down.

Insect Pests

Carambola trees are attacked by a number of scale insects including plumose (Morganella longispina) and philephedra (Philephedra tuberculosa) scales, which attack leaves and twigs, causing defoliation and stem dieback. The diaprepes weevil (Diaprepes abbreviatus) causes damage to the roots, which may lead to root and shoot dieback.

Fruit damage caused by stink bugs (Nezara sp.) and squash bugs (Acanthocephala sp.) results in pinhole-sized markings on the fruit surface and dry areas of the flesh under the puncture wounds. This may lead to infection by fungi which cause soft rot of the fruit. Fruit blotch miner (Lepidoptera:Gracillaridae) causes a superficial damage to the waxy cuticle and can be identified by meandering brownish colored trails on the fruit surface. Brown scales (Coccus hesperidum) and red-banded thrips (Selenothrips rubrocinctus) have also been observed feeding on carambola fruit. Birds, opossums, and raccoons may attack fruit especially early in the season. Their damage can be identified by the V-shaped marks left on the ribs of the fruit. For more information and control measures, consult your County Agricultural Extension Agent.

Diseases

Reddish colored leaf spot diseases are caused by various fungi (Cercospora averrhoa, Corynespora cassiicola, Phomopsis sp., Gloesporium sp. and Phyllosticta sp.). Observations indicate that these leaf spot fungi are more common on environmentally stressed or nutritionally deficient trees and occur on older leaves that normally abscise (drop) during the winter and early spring. No control is necessary for these leaf spotting fungi. Twigs and limbs may be attacked by red alga (Cephaleuros virescens). Symptoms include rough, circular, greenish-grey or rusty-red areas and shoot dieback. Contact your local County Extension Agent for current control of red alga.

Ripe fruit that is injured may be attacked by the fruit-rotting fungus (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides), which causes anthracnose. A superficial blackish discoloration on fruit ("sooty mold") caused by Gloeodes pomigena may be found on fruit surfaces. Generally, no control is warranted for these fruit diseases.

The fungus Pythium splendens has been identified as the cause of a general tree decline syndrome. Decline symptoms include loss of tree vigor, leaf drop, twig, shoot, and root dieback, and reduced fruit size and production. For more information and control measures, consult your County Agricultural Extension Agent.

Good luck,
Julie

Here is a link that might be useful: New scale?

Hi jenfm

Thank you very much for your great research on the possible problems on my star fruit.
I have a very good idea of what I am going to do now. We have to be like Doctors with our plants. Since the tree is in its first year I am going to pull all the fruit out and spray with something for fruit trees.
Before pollination I did see something looking like a bee but with longer legs, this was around Fay and the rains and winds, I guess the tree was weakened.
Fortunately other than the damaged fruit tree looks healthy.

Gardening in Florida is a new challenge for me. With the information on greening of the citrus, other type of bugs,humidity issues.
I had citrus in Arizona and pretty much were problem free. I would only water and fertilize and had a bountiful crop. Now in my small yard in Orlando I have a Pink lemon, Key
Lime and Calamondin and have to keep an eagle eye to keep them healthy.

Planning the yard recently we were thinking of the best fruit trees that we enjoyed to have. The favorite was a Katy apricot we had in Phoenix.
When we tried to get locally in Florida there was no nursery that carry them. Reading some place later that there was a disease in the 90's that affected all the apricots in Florida.
Knowing this we would not try to buy an apricot from California.

Again thank you very much for your help.

Best
Willy

Willy, Some apricots trees will grow here but they will not fruit at all. I have friends that tired it but it will never happen because apricots need more chill hours to flower than we will ever get here.

That is the strangest looking disease your starfruits. I have carambola trees too so if you ever do find out what it is I would surely like to know about it.

Christine

That looks a lot like sunburn to me. Have you cut a lot of limbs back to open up the bush?

Take one of the fruit to your local extension office.

Christine
We had a Katy apricot that need low chill hours in Phoenix. That is why we thought if it fruits in Phoenix it will fruit in Orlando. But is good to know your experience about the apricots not fruiting here. I love the garden forum, live experience is better than any book.

I will do a follow-up on the star fruit.

junkyardgirl
The tree is not one year old yet and I did not cut any limbs since it is still small.
Is on the east side of the house, get strong winds, but is somewhat protected by the fence.

coffeemom
I will try to take one of the fruits to the local extension office.

I will keep updates on the tree. Thanks everybody for your help.

Best Willy

Willy,

You can't compare Arizona to here because of the humidity factor which is a big deal. For example, 'Wonderful' pomegranate plants are grown here, but they prefer very low humidity. That's why they will not fruit here without fruit splitting from fungus, that is, if they even bloom and set fruit at all. I belong to a tropical fruit club and I promise to post any information on any apricots that will produce fruit here.

As for your starfruit, too much sun shouldn't be a factor because because they are widely grown in the tropics where the sun is much stronger than here. It looks like some kind of fungus or insect problem, but that's just my guess. I really agree with coffeemom and bring a fruit to an Ag extension office. We all need to know what this is to be on the lookout for some possibly new disease.

Christine

Christine

We did have a Wonderful pomegranate in Phoenix and had a lot of fruit. It did give some problems with insects when the fruit was ripe. There were other varieties of pomegranates that did not fruit.

It is great that you belong to the tropical fruit club, now I know who to ask for advice.

We used to go to the sales of the Rare Fruit club in Phoenix, they had a great selection.

I love all fruits, except Durian. I don't mean to offend anyone who likes it. I guess is an acquired taste.

I will have to wait to sample my starfruit. Was really looking forward.

This morning as a prevention I cut all the fruit from the tree.

Willy

Willy, can you give me a better idea of where you're located? Oakland Park in Broward?
Here's a fun web site to drool over but no apricots.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pine Island tropical fruits

I've never seen such a problem on Starfruits. I hope you find the answer!

If you want a delicious Apricot substitute, the tropical Pitomba is very good. It is a slow-growing shrub, and the fruit taste like juicy Apricots. I really like mine!

Lisa

Willy---I looked up Oakland on the map and you are just a little warmer that I am. I have a variety of pomegranate coming in the mail soon of a variety called 'Christina'. I am told that it is a very good producer for this area. I will post any good news about it when the time comes.

I think I know what the disease is---scab. But that's just my guess.

Christine

coffeemom
I am located in Orlando next to Winter Garden and Clermont. Close to Disney too. My backyard is on the Orange Blossom Trail.
Thanks for the website,great pictures and descriptions. I am addicted to fruit trees and daydream about what to get and where to put it.

Lisa
What a great idea!
I think I am going to get the tropical pitomba. If it comes recommended from you is a sure hit with me.

Christine
Keep us updating on your new pomegranate. Comes to mind a guacamole I had in a Mexican restaurant they make fresh on the table in a stone mortar, garnish with pomegranate seeds. Yum!
Your guess on the disease sounds probably right, because if it was something more serious the tree would not look so healthy. After taking the fruit out I sprayed with a fruit tree spray.

Willy

I live in Orlando also and I am behind Sea World and very close to Disney, Your carambola definitely appears to have scale. It is one of the major pest problems that the carambola industry in Florida has experienced. I have enclosed a link that will assist you with your carambola including cultivation and pest management. Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: Scale

Willy,

Other fruit trees you may want to consider are longan, white sapote, jabotocaba, Cherry of the Rio Grande, mulberry, to name a few. The pitomba will need more cold protection than the ones I just mentioned. Be sure to attend the annual plant sale next March at Leu Gardens because that will be the best place to get these hard to find varieties---and so much more.

Christine

Linda
Hi Neighbor, wonderful research, thanks a lot.
Since I have available some of the sprays mentioned I will use them regularly to fix the problem.

Christine
I have Cherry of the Rio Grande and it is fruiting at the present time. I had few berries this morning. Good!
I am not going to miss the sale at Lew Gardens this year, went there last March and got bananas. This year I am going prepared with a wagon to carry plants.

Willy

I have a plumcot hybrid (plum/apricot), which requires 300 chill hours. We'll see what happens with it next spring. Its still small, but want to see if it will start some fruit since I have 3 plums planted along with it to provide pollination. There is also tropical apricot, dovyalis X something or another, can't remember, but it will fruit here.

Gary

Gary

Keep us updated on your new plumcot. If it fruits it should be delicious.
I had a Santa Rosa plum in Phoenix. It grew fast,pretty tree,good fruit.
Too bad we can't get good apricots or plums in the store. There is nothing like homegrown.
I was happy to find out that peaches were good in my farmers market when in season, I think they come from Georgia.
Willy

They have low chill plums for FL, like the "gulf" series, my Scarlett Beauty produces heavily and tastes good. There are even a couple pluot or aprium choices which need only 300 chill hours. Just have to do some googling to find them.

Gary