Overview

Embark on a tropical gardening adventure with the bilimbi live plant. This offering is for one vigorous 3-5 inch tall seedling of Averrhoa bilimbi, famously known as the Cucumber Tree or Tree Sorrel. Originating from Southeast Asia, this fruit-bearing tree is celebrated for its distinctive, intensely sour fruit, which is a staple in many cuisines. Your seedling will arrive in a 2.5-inch square pot, carefully prepared for its journey to your home. While less cold-resistant than its carambola cousin, the averrhoa bilimbi tree thrives in tropical to subtropical climates, promising a unique addition to your garden or patio.

The Bilimbi is a fascinating plant, capable of reaching heights of 8-20 feet at maturity, and its trunk quickly ramifies, forming a dense canopy. Its evergreen foliage provides year-round beauty, and the tree blooms repeatedly, offering the potential for continuous fruit production. This tropical fruit plant is grown organically, ensuring you receive a healthy start to your own fruiting tree.

Key Benefits

Adding a bilimbi live plant to your collection offers a multitude of benefits, from its unique culinary uses to its ornamental appeal. Here are some compelling reasons to cultivate this intriguing tree:

• Exotic Fruit Production: Enjoy a continuous supply of the unique, intensely sour bilimbi fruit, available throughout the year. The tree bears hundreds of fruits annually, perfect for culinary experimentation.
• Culinary Versatility: The fruit, though too acidic for raw consumption, is highly prized in cooking. It’s extensively used in soups, sauces, curries, and as a natural souring agent, adding a distinct tangy flavor to dishes.
• Ornamental Appeal: The averrhoa bilimbi tree is an attractive evergreen with lush foliage and abundant fruit, making it a beautiful focal point in a tropical or subtropical garden.
• Ethnobotanical Value: Beyond culinary uses, bilimbi fruit juice has traditional applications, such as for cleaning and bleaching, due to its high oxalic acid content.
• Adaptable Growth: While preferring rich, well-drained soil, the bilimbi tree can also tolerate limestone and sand, demonstrating a degree of adaptability in its preferred tropical environment.
• Evergreen Foliage: Maintain lush green foliage year-round, providing consistent beauty and shade in appropriate climates.
• Sustainable Growing: This cucumber tree sorrel is grown organically, promoting healthy growth and environmental responsibility.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your bilimbi live plant involves understanding its tropical preferences to ensure optimal growth and fruit production. This tropical tree thrives in USDA Zones 10a to 13, making it suitable for outdoor cultivation in frost-free regions or as a container plant that can be moved indoors during cooler months. For sunlight, the Bilimbi prefers full sun to partial shade. If grown in a container, ensure it receives at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for the best fruiting. When young, protect your seedling from intense, direct afternoon sun, especially during establishment.

The averrhoa bilimbi tree prefers rich and well-drained soil. A good quality potting mix amended with organic matter is ideal for container growing. For in-ground planting, ensure the soil drains well to prevent root rot. Consistent moisture is key; the tree prefers evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year but can tolerate a short 2-3 month dry season. Water regularly, especially during dry spells, allowing the top inch of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Fertilize every 2-3 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer formulated for fruiting trees. Protect young plants from temperatures falling below 60°F, as they are less cold-resistant. Gradual acclimatization to outdoor conditions is crucial after shipping or if moving from indoors to outdoors.

Size & Details

You are purchasing one bilimbi live plant, a seedling starter plant that is 3–5 inches tall (pot height not included). It comes in a 2.5-inch square pot, providing a healthy root system ready for transplanting. This tropical fruit plant is an evergreen species with a fruiting height of 8-20 feet when mature. It is hardy in USDA Zones 10a to 13. Expect bloom time to be repeated throughout the year, with fruit production beginning in 2-4 years from planting. The fruit is notably crunchy when unripe, transitioning from bright-green to yellowish-green when ripe, and is filled with very juicy, extremely sour, greenish-white flesh. While trees grown from seeds may not be identical to the parent tree, this organically grown seedling offers a robust start for your garden. The fruit of this cucumber tree sorrel is highly valued for its unique taste and versatility.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this bilimbi live plant get? A: This seedling is 3-5 inches tall upon arrival. When mature, the averrhoa bilimbi tree can reach a fruiting height of 8-20 feet, forming a relatively compact tree with many ramifications.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The bilimbi live plant is a tropical tree hardy in USDA Zones 10a to 13. It can be grown outdoors year-round in these warm climates. In cooler zones, it should be grown in a container and brought indoors during cold weather.
• Q: How much sunlight does the cucumber tree sorrel need? A: This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade. For best fruit production, aim for at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily once established. Young seedlings may benefit from protection from intense afternoon sun.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: While it has specific tropical requirements, the bilimbi live plant is considered moderately easy to care for if its needs for warmth, sunlight, and consistent moisture are met. It’s a rewarding plant for those in suitable climates or with protected growing spaces.
• Q: How long until it blooms and fruits? A: Your tropical fruit plant seedling is expected to begin blooming repeatedly and producing fruit within 2-4 years from planting, given optimal growing conditions.
• Q: What condition will the seedling arrive in? A: Your seedling will arrive as a healthy, organically grown plant, 3-5 inches tall, in a 2.5-inch square pot with its root system intact, ready for careful acclimatization and planting.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature this plant can tolerate? A: The averrhoa bilimbi tree is less resistant to cold than carambola. It’s crucial to protect it from temperatures falling below 60°F (15°C) to prevent damage.
• Q: Can I use bilimbi fruit in cooking? A: Absolutely! The fruit of the cucumber tree sorrel is primarily used in cooking due to its intense sourness. It’s excellent in soups, curries, sauces, and as a natural souring agent.
• Q: What kind of soil does this plant need? A: The Bilimbi prefers rich and well-drained soil. A high-quality potting mix with good drainage is recommended for container growing, or well-amended garden soil for in-ground planting.
• Q: Is this plant suitable for beginners? A: Gardeners with some experience in tropical plant care will find the Bilimbi rewarding. Beginners in appropriate climates can also succeed with careful attention to its specific needs for sun, water, and temperature.