Kaffir Lime Tree | Citrus hystrix
Zest to impress
Grown by Josh's trusted specialists
Europe
2 options
In stock
Order before 11pm for delivery within 4 working days
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 kaffir 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 kaffir 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
- Also known as makrut lime
- Our potted trees are supplied in EcoPotsâ„¢. 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
What to expect
Supplied as
Height on arrival
Eventual height
Eventual spread
Tasting notes
Time to first crop
Flower colour
Habit
Hardiness
Self fertile
Uses
Spacing
How to grow
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
Planting calendar
- Best time to plant
- Harvest
- Flower
Choose your size
Europe
Meet Josh's trusted specialists
Start with a touch of continental sun
Over 99% of our plants are grown in the UK, but where that’s not possible, Josh sources the best specialist growers in Europe for the job. Think citrus warmed by Sicilian sun, topiary trained by Dutch masters, almonds nourished in the Dordogne and bamboo bathed in Tuscan heat. Our handpicked growers nurture these plants to maturity before handing over to our team 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.
Perfect plants, guaranteed
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.
Learn from our experts
For growing advice that's clear and easy to follow
Fruit Tree Problems: Signs and Solutions
We show you how to identify and deal with the most common fruit tree pests and diseases yourself - or avoid them in the first place.
Read more
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One of our trusted team will get back to you via email
What customers say about us
We do our best to provide you the best experience ever
Best plants you will ever get online
I have ordered plants from them twice this year. They arrived well packaged, on time and looked strong and healthy. I feel the staff from Roots plants deal with their plants and customers with passion and care. I can’t wait to order again, price is good as well.
Highly recommended all round
Delivered quickly, perfectly packaged and the tree was in excellent condition. Really healthy and taken to the garden with no problems. Can't recommend highly enough. 5 stars isn't enough!
Satisfied customer
Unlike other online sellers, this company are well ahead in the quality stakes. My plant arrived promptly as per their promise and the plant was much more established and healthy than I had expected. It’s the second time I have ordered from them and I have faith in their promise. Excellent service.
A really good quality tree
A really good quality tree, delivered on time and very well packaged. But the emailed planting advice and supporting information was what really impressed me. Thoroughly recommended.
Exceptional quality
The quality of the plants was exceptional, unlike ones I have had before from local garden centres. Thank you so much. I will definitely be using you again.
Marvellous!
Marvellous service, great plants and fast delivery. Very useful information on how to care for the plants I bought. Easy to use website that makes it far too easy to overindulge in fabulous plants 😂🌱
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