Key lime
Citrus × aurantiifolia
Thorny, prolific and frost-tender.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 12 ft tall, 10 ft wide
Harvest: June to September
From: SE Asia
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food.
Hardy in zones 10 to 11.
The story
The Key lime came from Southeast Asia through Arab traders to North Africa and Spain, and with the Spanish to the Florida Keys, where it grew half-wild and gave its name to a pie. Most of the world's limes are this small, seedy, intensely aromatic kind.
Planting
Full sun, drained soil, and real warmth; it is the most frost-tender common citrus. Grow in a pot anywhere winters dip below freezing.
Growing
Water evenly, feed three times a year, and protect from wind. It is thorny and bushy; prune lightly for shape after harvest.
Harvest and use
Picks year-round in the tropics, mostly summer elsewhere; take them when they turn from dark to pale green and feel slightly soft. They yellow fully when ripe.
What to watch for
Citrus canker and greening where present; scale; cold.
See if Key lime fits your yard
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More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home