Citrus aurantiifolia
A small evergreen citrus tree with thorny, spreading branches, glossy leaves, fragrant flowers, and small green when immature fruits that turn pale yellow when ripe bears very acidic, aromatic fruit with year-round fruiting in warm climates and is not reliably cold-hardy in cool climates, and has two main cultivars, 'Tahiti' and 'Key'—with 'Key' fruits smaller and more acidic and Tahiti trees growing larger and producing fewer but larger fruit.
Common Names
Key Lime, Mexican Lime, West Indian Lime, Lime, Bartender's Lime, Omani Lime
Summary
Citrus aurantiifolia, commonly known as lime, is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to Southeast Asia. It grows up to about 5–6 meters tall with dense, irregular branches and spiny twigs, small dark green glossy leaves, and white flowers. The fruit is small, about 2–3 inches in diameter, green when immature and pale yellow when ripe, with a thin skin and a strongly aromatic, very acidic, juicy pulp.
Cultivation requires a warm, sun-filled site with well-drained soil and an annual rainfall of 25–40 inches; it tolerates drought but is sensitive to standing water and high salinity, and prefers a soil pH of 5–8. Propagation is commonly from seed due to polyembryony, though cuttings, budding, grafting, or air-layering are also used. It can be grown in containers or warm greenhouses, and its juice, zest, and flavorings are widely used; lime oil from the peel and leaves finds applications in cosmetics.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
11-13 feet
Spread
2-4 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 10-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally Full Sun, with about 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
Soil Type
Well-drained loamy soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil (moist but not waterlogged).
Soil pH
6-6.5, Acid to neutral
Bloom Color
White
Bloom Time
Late Spring to Early Fall
Foliage Color
Dark green, Glossy green
Fall Foliage Color
No fall foliage color
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Exceedingly vigorous.
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Layering (air layering)
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Christm.) Swingle
- Publication
- J. Washington Acad. Sci. 3: 465 (1913)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Sapindales
- Family
- Rutaceae
- Genus
- Citrus
Synonyms
Citrus spinosissima Limonia aurantiifolia Citrus nipis Citrus amblycarpa Citrus davaoensis Citrus excelsa Citrus excelsa var. davaoensis Citrus hystrix subsp. acida Citrus javanica Citrus lima Citrus limonellus Citrus longispina Citrus macrophylla Citrus medica f. aurantifolia Citrus montana Citrus notissima Citrus ovata Citrus papaya Citrus pseudolimonum Citrus voangasay Citrus webberi var. montana Citrus depressa var. voangasay Citrus acida Citrus longispina Citrus limonellus var. amblycarpa Citrus limonellus var. oxycarpus Limonia aurantiifolia Citrus acida Citrus aurantiifolia subsp. murgetana Citrus medica var. acida