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Expertly Grown in the UK
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Happy, Healthy Plants Guaranteed
Expertly Grown in the UK
Carefully Hand Delivered

Makrut Lime Tree | Citrus hystrix

Zest to impress

Grown by Andreas

Tuscany

4 Year Old Tree in a 5L Pot

60-90cm

£60

Out of stock

Perfectly happy plants, or your money back

Specialist overnight plant delivery

The highlights

  • Intensely fragrant, citrusy taste
  • Self-fertile (no cross-pollination needed)
  • Add the leaves and zest to Thai curries
  • Harvest the fruit and leaves all year round

Description

  • Highly knobbly and wrinkled, the fruits of the makrut lime certainly stand out from other citrus fruits - we think they look like little green brains or the inside of a walnut, but what do you think?
  • Funky appearance aside, however, there's a reason that this plant is so prized in Southeast Asian culinary circles; its evergreen, hourglass-shaped leaves are seriously aromatic and feature a citrusy taste without the intensely sharp tang of other citrus fruits. Though less commonly utilised than the leaves, the zest can also be used to add a welcome lemony injection to your weekday dinners
  • Use the leaves to transform your Thai green curries, conjure up fabulous fishcakes and prepare the freshest salad you've ever tasted - seriously!
  • The tree produces wonderfully fragrant white flowers throughout the year, which are then followed by the distinctive fruits
  • Here in the cooler climate of the UK, your best bet is growing your makrut lime tree in a large container on your patio or in a greenhouse. This way, you can bring it indoors or move it to a more sheltered location in the winter
  • Historically this has been called kaffir lime, but we prefer the traditional name makrut for authenticity
  • Our potted trees are supplied in EcoPots™. Eco pots use 70% less plastic and are fully recyclable, unlike normal single use pots. They flex and so produce less root spiralling and travel better in the post
  • Our trees are professionally pruned before dispatching. This formative pruning can involve cutting the main leader, if the expert tree growers decide this will produce a better shaped tree. This can stop the tree becoming "leggy", and promote stronger, bushier growth

What To Expect

Supplied as:

Potted tree
4 year old tree in a 5L pot

Height on arrival:

60-90cm

Eventual height:

3-5m

Eventual spread:

1-3m
Spreads approximately 1-3m.

Tasting notes:

The leaves and zest have a fragrant, citrusy taste

Time to first crop:

Usually in the first year after planting

Flower colour:

White
Perfumed white flowers all year long

Habit:

Bushy
Like many citrus trees, the makrut lime grows with a neat and bushy habit. This can be encouraged further by thinning out overcrowded stems in February.

Hardiness:

Half-hardy
H3 - This tree will need some protection in colder climates. It's frost hardy down to -5°C so it's potentially able to cope without additional protection in milder coastal climates, however it might still be a risk, so it's better to be safe than sorry and move it indoors.

Self fertile:

Self fertile

Uses:

Use the leaves in Thai green curries, fish cakes, soups and salads. Likewise, the lime zest can also be incorporated into curries.

Rootstock:

Spacing:

2-3m
Plant 2-3m apart to allow for spreading.

How To Grow

Good pest and disease resistance

This tree is rarely impacted by disease but can be affected by certain pests like spider mites and scale insects.

Water throughout the year

Like all citrus trees, your makrut lime will appreciate being watered regularly in spring and summer, along with its leaves being misted (this emulates the high humidity of its native region). Whilst it will still need some watering in winter, it's important not to overwater your plant; allow the top layer of soil to partially dry out before watering again. Signs of an overwatered lime tree include drooping, yellowing leaves and leaves falling off the tree.

Full sun

Position your tree somewhere it will receive at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.

Any well-drained, loam-based soil

Plant your makrut lime in loamy soil or, even better, a fertile, citrus-specific potting mix. Ensure it has good drainage (look for horticultural grit or perlite on the label).

Feed regularly

Citrus trees are hungry feeders, so a regular application of citrus-specific fertiliser is recommended throughout the year.

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

Tuscany

Meet Andreas

Start with a touch of Tuscan sun

Over 99% of our plants are grown in the UK, but where that’s not possible, Andreas steps in! Some plants need to start life in the warmth of sunny Tuscany, where Andreas nurtures them to maturity before handing over to John in the South Downs, to toughen them up for UK gardens.

What customers say about us

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Growing with Roots

Good to know

Our plants are grown 
in the UK

Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.

Our plants are delivered overnight

Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 
24 hours.

We're here to help at every step

We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team 
of experts.

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We’re confident that you’ll be delighted 
with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re 
perfectly happy.

Digging deep to answer your questions

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When will I get my plants?

The delivery timescale for each plant is on the web page (near the 'add to basket's button). You'll receive a dispatch email with an exact delivery date once your plants are on their way, so you can get the garden ready.

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Where do you deliver?

We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.

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