Mexican
Citrus x aurantiifolia
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Description
Mexican lime - the Key lime, West Indian or Egyptian lime - is the classic small, seedy, intensely aromatic lime of tropical cooking, famous as the namesake of Key lime pie. The fruit is small and round with thin green skin yellowing at full ripeness and pale, intensely acid, fragrant juice with many small seeds. The tree is small but vigorous and spreading, densely thorny, with fragrant white flowers, and in warm climates it flowers and fruits almost continuously through the year; in New Zealand the main picking comes earlier than Tahitian types (around autumn, per NZ guides). It is the least cold-tolerant of the common limes, needing a sunny, sheltered position free of moderate to hard frosts, and in most districts is best grown in a container that can be sheltered in winter. Fruit is the connoisseur's lime for drinks, marinades, ceviche, and baking, with unmatched aroma. Use fresh - small limes dry out quickly in storage.
Characteristics
Fruit Size
Small
Peel Colour
Green ripening to yellow
Flesh Colour
Pale yellow-green
Harvest Timing (NZ)
Early
Seediness
Many Seeds
Growth Habit
Spreading
Thorny
Notes
Needs full sun, shelter, and freedom from moderate to hard frosts - warmest sites or containers in most of NZ. Small but vigorous and thorny - prune with care. Flowers and fruits freely; water well through flowering and fruit development. The most cold-sensitive of the common limes.; Sold interchangeably as Key Lime / Mexican lime in NZ (Copperfield Nurseries lists Key as also called Mexican Lime).
Fruit Use
Culinary
Flavour Profile
Tart, Acidic, Aromatic, Juicy
Storage Life
Short
Country Availability
Known to be available in 1 country