Citrus Hybrid, Key Lime, West Indian lime, Bartender’s Lime, Omani Lime, Mexican Lime
Citrus aurantiifolia
Family: | Rutaceae (roo-TAY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Citrus (SIT-rus) (Info) |
Species: | aurantiifolia |
Additional cultivar information: | (C. micrantha x C. medica) |

Category:
Edible Fruits and Nuts
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage:
Textured
Provides Winter Interest
Foliage Color:
Orange/Apricot
Height:
10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m)
Spacing:
15-20 ft. (4.7-6 m)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 °C (30 °F)
USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 °C (35 °F)
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Can be grown as an annual
Danger:
Plant has spines or sharp edges; use extreme caution when handling
N/A
Bloom Color:
Pale Pink
White/Near White
Bloom Characteristics:
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Flowers are fragrant
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Blooms all year
Blooms repeatedly
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
From hardwood cuttings
From seed; germinate in a damp paper towel
By grafting
By air layering
Seed Collecting:
Allow unblemished fruit to ripen; clean and dry seeds
Seed does not store well; sow as soon as possible
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Gaylesville, Alabama
Phoenix, Arizona(2 reports)
Berkeley, California
Canoga Park, California
Chowchilla, California
Chula Vista, California
Davis, California(2 reports)
Fremont, California
Irvine, California
Lake Elsinore, California
Oak View, California
Palm Springs, California
San Diego, California
Valley Center, California
Bartow, Florida
Bradenton, Florida
Brooksville, Florida
Clermont, Florida
Deltona, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Hialeah, Florida
Homestead, Florida
Islamorada, Florida
Keystone Heights, Florida
Kissimmee, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
North Port, Florida
Orlando, Florida(2 reports)
Ormond Beach, Florida
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Rockledge, Florida(2 reports)
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Sebring, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Venice, Florida
Honomu, Hawaii
Macomb, Illinois
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Marrero, Louisiana(2 reports)
Prairieville, Louisiana
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Harper Woods, Michigan
Natchez, Mississippi
Joplin, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
Hulbert, Oklahoma
Portland, Oregon
Johns Island, South Carolina
North Augusta, South Carolina
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Aransas Pass, Texas
Brazoria, Texas
Brownsville, Texas(2 reports)
Canyon Lake, Texas
Edinburg, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Houston, Texas(5 reports)
Kerrville, Texas
La Porte, Texas(2 reports)
Little Elm, Texas
Mcallen, Texas
Mission, Texas
Palestine, Texas
Plano, Texas
Richmond, Texas(2 reports)
Rowlett, Texas
San Antonio, Texas(2 reports)
St John, Virgin Islands
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
---|---|
Positive | On Feb 29, 2016, ShariGrace5 from Hialeah, FL wrote: The grocery store sells key limes green. They will not turn yellow once removed from the tree and I think people don't know they should be yellow. Green key limes are bitter. |
Positive | On Nov 21, 2012, tmccullo from Houston, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: We have a 6 year old Key Lime tree that was grown from seeds and planted. It is about 12' tall and has survived 2 below average winters here where is was 21 and 19 degrees. It was mostly defoliated and some of the branches died but it grew back quickly. So far it has not fruited but we expect it will next spring. The leaves are a lighter green than most critics we have and the leaves smell like a key lime when you rub them. |
Positive | On Feb 16, 2012, TRUNK from North Andrews Gardens, FL wrote: I live a neighborhood known as "North Andrews Gardens", in the city of Oakland Park (10 mins outside of Fort Lauderdale Metro & 30 miles north of Miami), Florida . I planted 4 of these plants purchased from Nu-Turf Garden Shop in Pompano Beach Florida. I potted them up as Patio trees. They are doing wonderful. I have all the limes I need whenever I need them. I move them every 6 months from the Westside to Southside annually. They perform best in full sun with a dish under pot, and 4inches of mulch packed tight in the pot. I have thyme growing in the pots which I also use. additonally what makes this plant interesting is that every year Giant Swallowtail Butterflies find their way to my trees and give birth. Watching the caterpillars to butterflies is very interesting. the butt... read more |
Neutral | On Jan 31, 2011, a_griebel from Phoenix, AZ wrote: Davidsimpson, It's very possible your lime is stressed; although, it's normal to drop a lot fruit in early development. Growing it a pot, it's likely it's watering needs aren't being met quite right. They are sensitive to both over watering (cirtus needs fast draining soil) as well as under watering. |
Negative | On Nov 20, 2010, davidsimpson from Brisbane, I am in Brisbane Australia. I have a healthy lime tree in a large pot. It is about 5 years old, I think it could be a Persian lime, it has green fruit and at maturity they are about 3 inches long, as they ripen they go a light green but never go yellow. (very nice in a cold Corona) |
Neutral | On Feb 4, 2010, dancingbeartx from Houston, TX wrote: Houston, TX: |
Positive | On Dec 11, 2009, swedey from Winnie, TX wrote: i planted 6 seeds from a walmart key lime. five sprouted quickly.i now have them i 3/4 gallon pots growing nicely i the south window. 68 miles east of houston. i intend to put one in a pot 24" wide on a dolly outside come march the 15th. i can roll it under the carport andprotect and heat it but i wonder if i can put one in the ground and keep it small enough to cover in the freezes?anyone near here that has tried it? |
Positive | On Nov 5, 2009, perkite from Houston, TX wrote: I have had my key lime in the back yard here in Houston for over a year now. It survived last winter just fine. The coldest night recorded at my house last year was 28 degrees, and there was no damage at all. In fact, this tree grew faster in February (no frosts occured in Feb) than any other month this year. |
Positive | On Sep 20, 2009, Psykofax from Portland, OR wrote: We were told this plant is a key lime when we bought it from Portland Nursery, covered with blooms. None of them set fruit, and it hasn't bloomed in four years. It always grew a little and stayed healthy, but it hasn't bloomed for years. |
Positive | On Jun 3, 2009, bassein33 from Marlborough, MA (Zone 6a) wrote: We picked up a 2.5 ft Key Lime plant at a nursery in the Florida Keys. It was in a growing pot & I transplanted it in a slightly larger weather-resistent pot with lots of perlite & peat since it was originally in a sandy mix. It is now (June) sitting in my back yard in a partial sunny spot & appears to be doing well with several, tiny, whitish fruit clusters growing & 1 bigger green fruit. This plant did a lot of traveling as it sat in a trailer while being driven up the east coast by my father-in-law to its new home in MA (zone 5b/6). They purchased one as well. In May, it was cold, dark & rainy in Cape Cod where they lived so a lot leaves dropped & they were worried. I don't know how their's is doing, but we live further inland & more north where it's warmer & more sunny. Our Key ... read more |
Positive | On May 1, 2009, StPeteGardener from Saint Petersburg, FL wrote: There are a couple variations of "Key Lime" sold in my area, the vast majority are a hybrid between a Kumquat and a Lime/Key Lime (sometimes tagged as "limequat"). The true Key Lime's have smaller leaves and spread more than the somewhat upright limequats. The limequats are more cold hardy than the Key Limes. Fruit is fairly similar, though the limequats are sometimes more egg-shaped and occasionally less sweet than the key lime. |
Positive | On Jul 30, 2008, bamagirl35973 from Rome, GA (Zone 7b) wrote: I bought this plant at K Mart for 70% off. |
Positive | On May 5, 2008, wreinha from Macomb, IL wrote: I have a key lime that I purchased at K-mart, it grows in a pot that was sitting outside in the garden center and it was windy and the pot was blown over, so payed for my plant and brought it hom. It is a thornless mexican lime tree , it is 3-4 feet tall and doesnt have any blooms on it yet, I do hope it flowers and bears limes on it. |
Positive | On Dec 4, 2007, jdiaz from Chowchilla, CA wrote: Despite being rated as frost sensitive, mine endured an arctic blast that lasted for a week and made temperatures plummet into the low and mid 20s. I had a small heater next to it at nightime but no other protection. It flowered and set fruit as soon as temperatures started warming back up. |
Positive | On Dec 15, 2006, wtliftr from Wilson's Mills, NC wrote: I love plants, so I had to try to plant some seeds. They sprouted and are doing well. Of course, in NC, they will always be potted plants, but they are easy to grow. I just keep them in a sunny window, and they are fine. Also have a mature tree that blooms- it is a wonderful air freshener for my classroom! |
Positive | On Dec 30, 2005, kimchifan from Los Angeles, CA (Zone 9a) wrote: I purchased a key lime about three years ago. The first two years the plant was in a container and it produced fruit during this time. I planted the tree into the ground in the third year, and while it has grown speedily during this period, it failed to produce fruit. It will be interesting to see if fruit production will occur during the fourth year after it is better established. |
Neutral | On Mar 17, 2005, seedlng from Fort Lauderdale, FL wrote: I have been trying to figure out what the heck was that citrus in my north east corner. I bought this house 3 yrs ago. I am a landscape designer from denver and california. I love plants. |
Positive | On Aug 14, 2004, Pameladragon from Appomattox, VA wrote: I grow this citrus in a large pot in central Virginia (7a). It spends the summer on the patio and comes indoors before the first frost. |
Positive | On Aug 11, 2004, sonotaps from Phoenix, AZ wrote: Key Lime or 'Mexican Lime' is very easy to grow in Phoenix. Loves the heat. Though frost sensitive, this isn't really an issue in Phoenix. If you are going to plant a lime tree, this should be it. Honestly, the flavor of these limes (when fully ripe-yellow) are fantastic and very tropical and are far superior to Bearrs/Persian Lime. |
Positive | On Jan 27, 2004, htop from San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: San Antonio, Tx. |
Positive | On Sep 7, 2003, Thaumaturgist from Rockledge, FL (Zone 10a) wrote: What more could anyone ask for? What was unimaginable decades ago, then became a rarity few years ago and nowadays nurseries routinely sell "Thornless" Key Lime trees. |
Positive | On Jul 27, 2002, darius from So.App.Mtns., Known best for Key Lime pies. It is a tropical/sub-tropical commercial crop, but will be an indoors plant for my zone 6b in winter. Known also as West Indian Lime or Mexican Lime, and not limited to the Florida Keys. Fruit is small, round, and yellow when fully ripe. Flowers and fruits almost continuously. |