Chiche Sweet Lime Tree (Lima de Chiche)

About the Chiche Sweet Lime Tree (Lima de Chiche)

Lima de Chiche is a much-loved sweet lime of the Yucatán Peninsula, named for the prominent nipple-shaped tip at the end of each fruit. The rind is pale yellow-green and intensely fragrant, and the flesh is juicy, mild and very low in acid, with a gentle, slightly floral sweetness that makes it a refreshing snack on a hot day. Sweet limes are a fixture of Mexican markets in the cooler months, when they turn up at posadas and in Christmas piñatas. The tree is hardy, productive and perfectly at home in hot, humid gardens.

How to Care for It

Plant in full sun in deep, well-drained soil; citrus hates waterlogged roots, so raise the bed on heavy clay. Water deeply once or twice a week in the dry season and let the topsoil dry between waterings. Feed with a citrus fertiliser with micronutrients (zinc, iron, magnesium) three times a year, mulch without touching the trunk, and remove shoots that sprout below the main branches.

Fresh limes for every taco and juice from your own tree. Persian, Colima and criollo limes, Valencia and navel oranges, five mandarins, grapefruit, pomelo and Yucatán's own lima de chiche, grown on our farms and shipped by DHL to most of Mexico.

Growing Profile

Botanical name

Citrus limetta

Family

Rutaceae

Native to

Sweet limes come from southwest Asia and the Mediterranean; 'Lima de Chiche' is a traditional Yucatán type

Mature height

3–5 m

Plant spacing

5 m

Years to first fruit

3–4 years

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Cold tolerance

down to -1 °C

Best climates

Humid tropics, Dry tropics, Subtropical

Grows in a pot

Yes

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas