Citrus Species, Kaffir Lime, Porcupine Orange, Thai Bai Makrut

On Jan 31, 2016, janelp_lee from Toronto, ON (Zone 6a) wrote:

Often are sold in bundle of twigs with leaves in Asian supermarket. Fruit is acidic and bitter not usually used for eating. But could use the peel after remove the white part. Medicinal.

On Dec 21, 2010, jbwaters from Dallas, TX wrote:

I love this plant. I have had one in a pot for about 12 years now and it is still thriving. Mine fruits and I have been extremely successful with starting new ones from seeds -- i plant them directly from the fruit into moist soil -- about 95% sprouted and are either in the ground or given as gifts. In the summer, I have mine in dappled to direct sun until late afternoon and have positioned it so that I can see the Giant Swallowtails laying their eggs on it from my kitchen window-- their ceterpillars look like bird droppings. My tree is easily big enough to share with them. It doesn't seems to like our Texas sun as much as my Satsuma Orange does.

And despite the fact that the kaffir lime shouldn't survive freezing temps, I planted one in a slightly protected area near m... read morey house and despite records snows in Dallas, TX last year (12 inches over night that lasted with well below freezing temps for several days), the kaffir lime tree came back! They got about 2 feet tall with very little water or attention. So this year I planted more in the ground to see how they would do. My fruiting tree stays in the pot though as she is a rare thing to find and stays in the greenhouse once we hit 40 degrees until we are reliably in the 50s.

Am going to try propagating my female by cuttings and maybe layering. Anyone have success doing either of these wiht a kaffir lime?

On Jan 22, 2008, isvasu from Woodbridge, VA wrote:

This plant can grow as high as 20' . It is a must in "Tom Yum" Thai cooking. USDA does not like this plant especially in Florida where orange are grown.

On Jul 3, 2007, fortunatefool from New York, NY wrote:

My experience with this plant has been mixed. It thrives with full sunlight and high humidity (approximating its tropical origins). It WILL grow as a container plant at northerly latitudes. However, in the winter time, if placed in a warm (and consequently dry) spot, it becomes extremely susceptible to pests, especially scale and spider mite. Once infested, the plant has to be destroyed to prevent spread. I have found it impossible to eradicate scale and spider mite infestation whose nymphs are microscopic. Once weakened by pests, the plant will experience massive leaf drop and wither away. Consequently quarantine all new plants from prized specimens.

Seedlings and young plants are cold tolerant only to about 45 F or so, so plan appropriately if starting from seed. Smal... read morel trees (with insulated woody stems) can tolerate colder weather to near or at freezing.

Citrus growing is a well developed industry, and there are many sources of grafted trees. These may be a worthy investment, especially if you want a fruiting tree. But the Wild Lime is mostly grown for its leaves used in Southeast Asian cooking, so the fruit is actually of secondary importance.

On Apr 12, 2006, Silphion from Portland, OR (Zone 8b) wrote:

I think the real attraction of the Kaffir Lime, for me at least, is the ease with which a small investment (~1.00$) can provide all the Kaffir's anyone could possibly want. Go to a grocery store witha generous produce section (I went to New Seasons) and buy 1 Kaffir lime. Now you have about 20 seeds. Clean them up and dry them off (I gave a tap water wash and left them on a paper towel over night) now you have the potoential to have about 8-10 Kaffir tree's. Try the same trick with a Lemon, Lime or Grapefruit...uh, no I guess not, none of those grow true from seed. Unless you just have to have a full sized tree *Right Now* then dont waste your money. I started my seeds last spring and my largest Kaffir is now around 3-4 feet tall. Decient resistance to pests (and I had nearly every ... read moreindoor pest one can name over the winter) and though not cold hardy here in Z8b I still plan to plant one of my seedlings on the south side of my property, just to see if it will fly. Will let you all know how it goes.

On Sep 24, 2004, jnn from Chapel Hill, NC (Zone 7b) wrote:

We have been fortunate enough to have a Kaffir Lime tree for four years now. It is in a pot as we live in Zone 7 and have to bring it inside during the cold weather. We love to make Thai dishes using the Kaffir leaves. Incredible flavor. Don't let the thorns intimidate you!