Haale / Cainito
Chrysophyllum cainito
Also known as Star Apple, Satin Leaf, West Indian Star Apple
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- July-September
How to identify Haale
Identify Haale by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Leaf undersides golden-bronze silky, cut fruit shows a star pattern (star apple).
- Confirm leaf shape: Elliptic (widest at middle).
- Confirm leaf surface: Tomentose (woolly, matted hairs).
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: July-September.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand.
- Confirm it sits within the Sapotaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Haale.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Chrysophyllum cainito
- Genus
- Chrysophyllum
- Family
- Sapotaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Cultivated, also runs wild
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- West Indies
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-September
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- Elliptic (widest at middle)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Tomentose (woolly, matted hairs)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Haale itself; the rest are typical of the Sapotaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Berry
Typical of the Sapotaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Tamil
- ஸ்டார் ஆப்பிள்
- Telugu
- నక్షత్ర ఆపిల్, స్టార్ ఆపిల్
- Kannada
- ಹಾಲೆ Haale, ಆಲೆ Aale
- Malayalam
- സ്റ്റാർ ആപ്പിൾ, Chrysophyllum cainito, Star Apple
About Haale
A member of the Sapotaceae family, Cainito (Chrysophyllum cainito) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and 1 other states. It is cultivated, also runs wild. Flowering and fruiting run from July to September.
Sapotaceae
Sapodilla/Chicle family
Haale belongs to the Sapotaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Sapotaceae familySnap it. Know it.
Point your camera at Haale or any plant and SASYA identifies it instantly — on-device, offline, and private.
Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides