Starfruit leaves curled backwards

[DSotM]

Leaves have been backwards like this for a couple months now, looks much different than the typically open look that I see others have. This started before temps got colder. Lows have been at about 40

[Brev Grower]

I think I see your starfruit shivering. They don't like cold very much. i hope you have that tree on the south side of the fence. Planting it close to a building on the south side is a good idea. If it gets any colder, i would put some old c7 or c9 Christmas lights on it to keep warm. Of course, be careful of the fire danger, especially in CA. It still looks like healthy green leaves and healthy new growth. Does it get a lot of wind?

E.

[DSotM]

Yes it’s on the south side of a fence. There are palms, more fencing to its west side about 10 feet away along with palms protecting its west side. It gets a decent wind break. Even in the summer I noticed the older leaves behaving like this, but yes it has lots of new growth.

[Guanabanus]

The tree appears to have pretty typical, JUVENILE Carambola leaves, as with young seedlings or of root-stock suckers coming up from below the graft union.  When the tree reaches adulthood/reproductive age, the leaflets usually become larger, lighter green, and flat.  However, the 'Hart' variety can look similar to juveniles, so maybe some other varieties can look that way also at maturity.

[DSotM]

The tree appears to have pretty typical, JUVENILE Carambola leaves, as with young seedlings or of root-stock suckers coming up from below the graft union.  When the tree reaches adulthood/reproductive age, the leaflets usually become larger, lighter green, and flat.  However, the 'Hart' variety can look similar to juveniles, so maybe some other varieties can look that way also at maturity.

Good to know. It was short and heavily branched with woody bark when I got it, so hopefully it’s a sucker rather than a seedling. Do suckers also take a decade to fruit?

[Guanabanus]

Root-stock suckers ARE from the seedling that was grafted onto--- the graft may still be alive but be unable to grow due to the root-stock's retaining or regaining dominance.  Or the graft may have long-since died and broken off.