Yellow Finger Lime Tree (Citrus Caviar)

About the Yellow Finger Lime Tree (Citrus Caviar)

This finger lime bears slim, finger-shaped fruit filled with pale yellow-green citrus pearls that burst with a sharp, aromatic lime flavour. Native to Australian rainforests, finger limes have become a gourmet ingredient worldwide: the separate juice vesicles add a crunchy pop of acidity to ceviche, tacos de pescado, sushi, salads, desserts and drinks without making them soggy. The plant is a compact, thorny shrub-tree with small leaves that grows happily in a large pot or garden bed in Mexico's warm climates. Grown on our farms in Yucatán and Chiapas and shipped via DHL.

How to Care for It

Grow in full sun to light shade in well-drained, slightly acidic soil or a quality citrus mix. Water when the top few centimetres dry, avoiding waterlogging. Feed with a citrus fertiliser containing micronutrients from spring to autumn. Established plants tolerate light frost to about -3 °C; protect young ones. The branches carry sharp thorns, so wear gloves when pruning to shape or thin.

Grow fruit most people have never tasted. Our exotic fruit trees, from Monthong durian and Emperor lychee to jaboticaba, achachairú and red finger lime, are raised on our farms in Yucatán and Chiapas and shipped by DHL across Mexico. Most love heat and humidity; several do beautifully in large pots.

Growing Profile

Botanical name

Citrus australasica (yellow-fleshed form)

Family

Rutaceae

Native to

Eastern Australia

Mature height

2–5 m

Plant spacing

3 m

Years to first fruit

2–4 years

Light

Full sun

Water

Moderate

Cold tolerance

down to -3 °C

Best climates

Subtropical, Mild highlands, Humid tropics

Grows in a pot

Yes

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas