Citrus aurantiifolia leaves and fruit

Credit: Cultivar 413

Leaves and fruits Citrus aurantiifolia

Credit: Scohlendorf

Leaves and flower Citrus aurantiifolia

Credit: Dutta Roy Sagnik

Lemon citrus aurantiifolia

Credit: Forest & Kim Starr

Citrus x aurantiifolia, the lime tree that produces limes

When we think of citrus fruits in the Rutaceae family, we think more of a Mediterranean garden or a Florida orangery than of the Himalayas. But that's where Citrus x aurantiifolia was born. This hybrid of Combava (Citrus hystrix) and Citrontier (Citrus medica) is now grown all over the world for its fragrant flowers and tangy lime fruit.

How to recognize the lime tree, Citrus x aurantiifolia?

Citrus x aurantiifolia is a shrub with a rounded, bushy habit. It reaches a height of three to five meters and a spread of one to two meters when mature.

The trunk is often crooked. Highly branched, it supports slender,thorny branches.

In Latin, aurantiifolia means orange leaf. The lime tree has obviously inherited this nickname because of the shape of its limbs. The oval, leathery leaves are two to five centimetres long, with serrated margins. They are soft or dark green. When crumpled, the gasoline pockets release their contents. The foliage then releases the sweet scent characteristic of citrus.

The fragrant blossoms attract pollinators. The star-shaped flowers are white with a hint of violet. They are no more than three centimetres in diameter.

They give rise to round fruits almost twice their size! Limes can reach six centimetres in diameter. Young green citrus fruits turn yellow as they ripen. They contain an acid pulp and only a few seeds.

While Citrus x aurantiifolia is not toxic to humans or animals, the limonene contained in the essential oil of limes can cause skin irritation in some people with sensitive skin.

Our maintenance tips

Maintaining a Citrus × aurantiifolia is not difficult. Above all, you need to protect it from frost in winter and provide it with the nutrients it needs to grow. With the right potting soil and regular fertilizing, you'll soon be enjoying your own citrus fruits.

Citrus × aurantiifolia citrus trees need regular watering all year round. During hot spells, water early in the morning or in the evening. Water evaporates less quickly, and your shrub benefits from it for longer.

Watering

Citrus × aurantiifolia like to keep soil moist, but not soggy. Water when the soil surface is dry (two to three centimetres).

Water the substrate with non-calcareous water, such as rainwater, at room temperature.

Allow the water to drain through the drainage holes before replacing the plant. Empty out any water stagnating in the saucer or planter. It may rot the roots.

Repotting

Every spring, repot your Citrus × aurantiifolia to give it more space.

When roots protrude from the pot or are visible on the surface, it's time to repot!

To prepare your Citrus × aurantiifolia for repotting, soak the root ball. Then gently loosen the root ball.

Choose a terracotta pot or a wooden tub. Both materials encourage water evaporation and reduce the risk of over-watering. Make sure the container is perforated to allow water to drain away.

At the bottom, place a bed of clay balls or gravel to facilitate drainage.

Top up with a rich substrate, such as special citrus or planting soil. You can make your own mixture with :

one-third planting soil
one-third garden soil
pozzolan.

Place your shrub in the center. The surface of the rootball should be two centimetres below the rim of the pot. Fill with substrate and tamp to eliminate air bubbles. When planting, do not bury the collar.

Fertilization

To promote the growth of your Citrus × aurantiifolia, apply fertilizer in spring and summer.

Citrus × aurantiifolia are greedy plants. They need to be fertilized. Feed yours with a special liquid or granulated citrus fertilizer.

Cleaning

When the foliage of your Limettier is covered with dust, the photosynthesis process is slowed down. To allow the plant to take full advantage of the light, gently wipe the leaves with a clean, damp cloth.

To avoid damaging the largest limbs, support them with one hand while you wash them with the other.

Prune

Size is not essential. It only helps to control shape and development and improves fruiting. When pruning, always use clean, sharp pruning shears.

Citrus trees flower and fruit on the year's wood. To maintain the compact, rounded shape of your shrub, remove dead branches and shoots growing along the trunk. You can also aerate the center by removing some shoots that have already borne fruit in previous years.

If you want to improve your harvest, you can also carry out a fruiting pruning operation: one month after the appearance of a new shoot, prune it back to a height of 20 centimetres.

Pinch

Pinch your Citrus × aurantiifolia during its growing season.

Use your fingers to pinch the tips of the branches. This forces the plant to create new branches and helps maintain a compact habit.

Plantation

When the risk of frost has passed, it's time to plant.

Find them a place sheltered from the wind and isolated from other plants. Citrus plants have shallow roots and don't like to share their space.

Dig a hole 70 centimetres wide and 1 metre in diameter. While you're at it, soak the root ball.

Plant the plant in the middle, with the top of the rootball level with the ground. Take care not to bury the collar.

Citrus × aurantiifolia plants thrive in light, well-drained, rich soil. When filling in, add potting soil or citrus soil to your garden soil. Tamp and water.

Diseases / Threats

Information

Family	Rutaceae - Rutaceae
Type	Citrus - Citrus
Species	Limettier - Citrus × aurantiifolia
Lifecycle	Perennial
Foliage	Evergreen
Exposures	Sun Half-shade
Substrat	Humus soil
Planting methods	Open ground In pots In tubs
Categories	Shrub Fruit tree
Tag	Edible fruit
Origin	South Asia
Hardiness (USDA)	9b
Leaf color
Flower colors
Fruit colors