Oxalidaceae
How to identify a bilimbi tree
Averrhoa bilimbi · also called cucumber tree, belimbing wuluh (Indonesian/Malay)
Cauliflorous — intensely sour, cucumber-shaped fruit borne directly on the trunk in clusters, used almost exclusively cooked, pickled, or as a souring agent rather than eaten fresh.
Field marks
These features are typical of the genus Averrhoa, so they help confirm you are looking at the right group; the fruit and the details below separate the species.
- Leaves are pinnately compound with many leaflets.
- Starfruit is five-ridged and star-shaped in cross section; bilimbi fruit is small, cucumber-like, very sour, and often hangs straight from the trunk.
Check a photo
Photograph one whole, mature leaf from above, or a flower or fruit, and the identifier will return ranked matches. If bilimbi is the top result, the field marks above are your second opinion.
Leaves, flowers, fruit, or bark — closer and sharper identifies better. Your photo is identified and discarded, never stored.
Where and when you will find it
- Origin / cultivation history
- Likely the Malay Archipelago (exact wild origin uncertain, long cultivated)
- USDA zones
- 10b-11
- Climate
- Tropical humid lowland.
- Fruiting season
- Season not documented; check local sources
- How often grown
- Uncommon in cultivation
A tree growing well outside the climate above is more likely to be a look-alike.
Growing it: seedling or grafted?
A young tree with no fruit is harder to identify and easy to mislabel, so it helps to know how long it takes to reach fruiting age and how it is usually propagated.
- Years to first fruit
- Seedling 3-5 yrs
- Propagation
- Seed, cuttings.
Relatives in the Oxalidaceae family
Close relatives share many features, so these are the most likely mix-ups.
Map your bilimbi trees
CanopyTwin keeps every tree on a map with its species, cultivar, photos and history, and counts flowers and fruit from survey photos. It is built for orchards, nurseries and collectors of tropical and rare fruit.
More identification guides: free plant identifier · tropical fruit tree identifier · fruit tree identifier · all species guides