GardenPerennial Fruit Tree · zones 9–11 · 10 varieties
Lime
Citrus aurantiifolia
Rutaceae — the same plant family as mandarin, orange, grapefruit and lemon. Relatives share pests and diseases, which is why rotation plans group by family.
Lime (Citrus aurantiifolia) is a perennial fruit tree for USDA zones 9–11. It wants full sun and pH 6–7 soil, with about 1–1.4 in of water weekly. First real harvest comes in 1–3 yr on a grafted nursery tree, or 4–10 yr from a seed. Watch for asian citrus psyllid and citrus canker. Below: its full sourced profile from 7 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.
Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.
What we will not put a number on
We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.
We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.
Site & soil
- Hardiness zones
- 9–11
- Sun
- Full sun
- Soil pH
- 6–7
- Soil texture
- Loam, Sandy, Well drained
- Frost tolerance
- Tender
The plant
- Mature height
- 6–20 ft
- Mature spread
- 5–20 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderateest
- Spacing in row
- 144–240 in
- Between rows
- 144–240 in
- Planting depth
- At soil level
- Container size
- 5–15 gal — start at the low end, pot up as it growsest
- Support
- Self-supportingest
- Grown from
- Grafting, Budding, Cutting, Layering, Seed
Water & feeding
- Water needs
- Moderate
- Water per week
- 1–1.4 in/wk
- Critical water
- Establishmentest
- Feeding
- Moderate
Timing & fruiting
- Years to first harvest
- 1–3 yr
- That is the grafted nursery tree, which is what a nursery sells. Grown from a seed on its own roots it is 4–10 yr — a different tree, and a different wait.
- Chill hours
- 0–100 hrs
- Pollination
- Self fertile
- Harvest cues
- Fruit sizing, Fruit coloring
- Winter damage below
- 30–32 °F
- Winter kill below
- 29 °F
Edible parts per source: fruit.
Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.
Different parts differ — the edible part is the fruit; the notes below flag other parts or preparations.
PeopleLow severity, Essential oils, Psoralens
Petsdogs, cats, horses
Recorded exactly as the source states it — not medical or veterinary advice. If a person or animal may have eaten a toxic part, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or your vet / the ASPCA line (888-426-4435).
| Variety | Type | Habit | Days | Color | Disease | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Finger | Finger | — | Green | University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asgrown to look at | ||
| Bearss Seedless Heirloom | Persian Tahitian | — | Green | University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno seeds · no thorns · takes the cold | ||
| Eustis Limequat Heirloom | Limequat | — | Green | University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this ashappy in a pot · grown to look at | ||
| Giant Key | Key Mexican | — | University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this ashappy in a pot · grown to look at | |||
| Makrut Heirloom | Makrut | — | Yellow | University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asstrongly scented · grown to look at | ||
| Mexican Key Heirloom | Key Mexican | Bush | — | Green | ||
| Mexican Thornless Heirloom | Key Mexican | — | University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this asno thorns | |||
| Palestine Sweet Heirloom | Sweet | — | Green, Yellow | |||
| Rangpur Heirloom | Rangpur | — | Orange | TRISTEZA_TOLERANT | University of California, Riverside — Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection records this astakes the cold · happy in a pot · grown to look at | |
| Sudachi Heirloom | Sudachi | — | Green | CANKER_RESISTANT GUMMOSIS_RESISTANT ROOT_BORER_RESISTANT |
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
- Mississippi State University Extension
- NC State Extension
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- University of California Cooperative Extension (UC Marin Master Gardeners)
- University of Florida IFAS Extension
We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 20 of the 24 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.
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