Criollo Mexican Lime Tree (Limón Criollo)

About the Criollo Mexican Lime Tree (Limón Criollo)

Limón Criollo is the backyard lime of Mexico: the same small, fragrant, sharply acidic fruit as the Mexican key lime, from the kind of tree that has grown beside village kitchens for generations. Trees of this type tend to be robust, bushy and thorny, adapting well to heat, poor soils and the long dry season of the Yucatán. The limes are small, thin-skinned and seedy, with a strong aroma that many people prefer for salsas, soups and fresh-squeezed drinks. A reliable, low-fuss tree for anyone who wants a steady supply of real Mexican limes.

How to Care for It

Plant in full sun with good drainage; it tolerates rocky or sandy soils if you water regularly while it establishes. Water deeply once or twice a week in the dry season and less during the rains. Apply a citrus fertiliser with micronutrients three times a year. Prune only to remove dead wood or open the centre, using gloves because of the thorns. Keep frost away from young plants.

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 × aurantiifolia

Family

Rutaceae

Native to

Southeast Asia; the local seedling-type Mexican lime grown in backyards across Mexico

Mature height

3–5 m

Plant spacing

4 m

Years to first fruit

3–5 years

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Cold tolerance

down to 0 °C

Best climates

Humid tropics, Dry tropics

Grows in a pot

Yes

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas