Overview

Bring the exotic flavors and aromas of Southeast Asia directly to your home with a vibrant kaffir lime tree live plant. Also widely known as the Thai Lemon, this evergreen tree is celebrated for its distinctively shaped double leaves and its bumpy, aromatic fruit. Our grafted live plant stands an impressive 4-5 feet tall and comes pre-potted in a 5-gallon container, providing a significant head start for gardeners eager to enjoy its benefits. The Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) is highly prized in Thai and other Asian cuisines for its fragrant leaves, which are an essential ingredient in curries, soups, and stir-fries, and its zest, used in various dishes. This particular specimen is a dwarf kaffir lime tree, making it suitable for both garden planting in warmer climates or as a stunning, productive container plant for patios and indoor settings where it can be moved to protect from frost.

Cultivating a kaffir lime tree live plant offers an unparalleled opportunity to access fresh, organic ingredients right from your backyard or balcony. Beyond its culinary uses, the Kaffir lime tree is also an attractive ornamental plant with glossy green foliage. It’s a fantastic choice for those looking to add a touch of the tropics and a unique flavor profile to their gardening endeavors. With proper care, this resilient tree will provide years of fragrant leaves and flavorful fruit, enriching your culinary creations and garden landscape.

Key Benefits

The kaffir lime tree live plant offers a multitude of advantages for both culinary enthusiasts and gardeners alike, making it a highly desirable addition to any collection:

• Fresh Culinary Ingredient: Enjoy an endless supply of aromatic Kaffir lime leaves and zest, essential for authentic Thai and Southeast Asian dishes. These leaves provide a unique, zesty, and floral flavor that cannot be replicated by other ingredients.
• Aromatic & Ornamental: The glossy, dark green double leaves and the distinctive, bumpy fruit make this tree a beautiful and fragrant addition to any garden, patio, or indoor space. Its presence can elevate the aesthetic and sensory experience of your surroundings.
• Grafted for Faster Fruiting: Being a grafted tree, it is designed to produce fruit and mature faster than seed-grown plants, allowing you to enjoy your harvest sooner. This ensures a robust and healthy plant from the start.
• Container Friendly: This dwarf kaffir lime tree is an excellent candidate for container growing, making it adaptable to various climates. You can easily move it indoors during colder months, protecting it from frost and extending its growing season.
• Easy to Grow: Kaffir lime trees are relatively low-maintenance once established, requiring consistent watering and plenty of sunlight. They are resilient and rewarding for gardeners of all experience levels.
• Health Benefits: Kaffir lime fruit and leaves are known for their traditional uses in aromatherapy and as a source of antioxidants, contributing to overall well-being.
• Unique Flavor Profile: The distinctive flavor of the Kaffir lime fruit and leaves adds an exotic and sophisticated touch to cocktails, desserts, and savory dishes, setting your culinary creations apart.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Ensuring the health and vitality of your kaffir lime tree live plant involves understanding its specific needs for light, water, soil, and environment. These trees thrive in conditions that mimic their native tropical habitat. For optimal growth, place your Kaffir lime tree in a location where it receives full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day. If growing indoors, a south-facing window is ideal, or supplement with grow lights, especially during shorter winter days. Consistent light exposure is crucial for both leaf production and fruit development.

When it comes to watering, the thai lime plant care routine requires a delicate balance. Water deeply until you see water draining from the bottom of the pot, but never allow the tree to sit in standing water, as this can lead to root rot. Allow the top inch or two of the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. The frequency of watering will depend on ambient temperature, humidity, and pot size. A well-draining, slightly acidic soil blend is paramount; a good quality citrus potting mix is often recommended. Repotting should occur every three years or when roots appear to be circling the pot, moving to a container that is only slightly larger to avoid overwatering issues. Kaffir lime trees prefer temperatures above 50°F (10°C) and thrive in USDA zones 8-11. In colder zones, bring the tree indoors when temperatures drop.

Fertilization is also an important aspect of kaffir lime fruit tree care, especially for container-grown plants. Use a balanced citrus fertilizer during the growing season (spring through fall) according to the product’s instructions. This will provide the necessary nutrients for robust growth and abundant fruit production. Watch out for common pests like spider mites and scale insects, especially indoors; address them promptly with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. With these diligent care practices, your Kaffir lime tree will flourish and provide you with its valuable aromatic bounty.

Size & Details

This offering is for one robust kaffir lime tree live plant, which stands approximately 4-5 feet tall from the base of the pot to the top of the foliage. It is carefully nurtured and shipped in a sturdy 5-gallon nursery pot, providing a substantial root system and a ready-to-grow specimen. The grafting process ensures that the tree will maintain its desirable characteristics and begin fruiting sooner than seed-grown plants. Kaffir lime trees, particularly this dwarf variety, are known for their moderate growth rate, typically reaching a mature height of 5-10 feet when planted in the ground, though they can be maintained at a smaller size through pruning when grown in containers.

The plant will arrive with established foliage, ready for transplanting into a larger container or directly into your garden if your climate permits. The 5-gallon pot size provides ample space for initial growth and stability during transit. Expect to see the characteristic double leaves and, as the tree matures, the distinctive bumpy green fruit that gives the Kaffir lime its unique appeal. This citrus hystrix plant is a long-lived perennial, offering many years of aromatic leaves and fruit with proper care and attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: This kaffir lime tree live plant is a dwarf variety and typically reaches 5-10 feet in height when fully mature in the ground, but can be kept smaller through pruning when grown in a 5-gallon pot or larger container.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: The Kaffir lime tree is shipped in a 5-gallon nursery pot, providing a healthy root system and a good start for your growing journey.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: It can be grown both indoors and outdoors. It thrives outdoors in USDA zones 8-11. In colder climates, it’s best grown in a container and brought indoors during winter.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This plant requires full sun, meaning at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth and fruit production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, thai lime plant care is relatively straightforward. It requires consistent watering, good drainage, and plenty of sunlight, making it suitable for gardeners of various skill levels.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Kaffir lime tree will arrive as a healthy, established plant with a robust root system in its 5-gallon pot, carefully packaged to ensure safe transit.
• Q: Can I use kaffir lime in cooking? A: Absolutely! The leaves are a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine, used in curries, soups, and stir-fries, and the zest of the fruit is also highly prized for its unique flavor.
• Q: How long until it blooms? A: As a grafted tree, this kaffir lime fruit tree is designed to mature and produce blooms and fruit faster than trees grown from seed, often within 1-2 years of planting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: If planting outdoors, spring after the last frost is ideal. For container growing, it can be planted year-round, allowing for indoor protection during cold months.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature this plant can tolerate? A: Kaffir lime trees prefer temperatures above 50°F (10°C). They are not frost-tolerant and should be protected when temperatures drop below this threshold.