Description
Dwarf Tahitian Lime (Citrus latifolia)
When buying limes from the grocery store, a Tahitian lime is quite often what you’ll end up with. The fruit is typically seedless and grows to a good size that provides plenty of zest for recipes. When ripe, they also have a great quantity of juice. For these reasons, it’s also one of the most common backyard lime trees in Australia.
They’re a versatile little citrus and have excellent use in cooking, baking, and beverage making.
As a tree, it’s a good grower and the dwarf version can get up to 1.5m tall in its lifetime, when planted in the ground and with ideal conditions and regular care. Like many other lime trees, the Tahitian lime tends to have a more lateral growth habit that can give it a cute, shrubby appearance at times.
It can be pruned it to shape, of course, and to encourage a more upright appearance and dense growth. The leaves can get to a nice dark green tone and have very distinct scent of lime when crushed.
Unlike what you might often find in the grocery store, Tahitian limes actually become yellow as they ripen. For a stronger ‘lime’ flavour, fruit can be picked when it’s smaller and still green, but if you’re after more juice and a slightly sweeter flavour, wait until they ripen further and turn yellow.
For our citrus care recommendations, please check our Help & Advice page!
