Lime varieties - description and characteristics

Lime is the closest relative of lemon. Rich green lime fruits have a fresh, rich aroma and pronounced acidity. They are widely used in cooking. The plant has learned to grow at home. It is demanding to care for, but it easily takes root, blooms beautifully and bears fruit abundantly with proper agricultural technology.

The appearance of a tree (or bush), care requirements, taste and type of fruit largely depend on the variety. There are several varieties of lime, and each includes several crops. What is the peculiarity of each variety - read on.

Lime hybrids and varieties

There are several groups of lime varieties. They differ in the taste and color of the fruit, the size of the leaves and the shape of the leaves, and even the requirements for growing... Some of them look very unusual.

It is interesting! After Lipton launched a series of Lime Yuzu-flavored teas, many wondered what it was. Yuzu is a natural selection of mandarin and Ichansk lemon. It has light orange fruits with a bumpy skin. Has a pronounced citrus aroma and more sour taste than lime.

Finger lime

Australian finger lime - one of the most unusual citrus plants. It is also called finger lime.

It is a tree or shrub with unusual fruits. Many citrus growers are struck by the beauty of its fruits and inflorescences.

Key characteristics of finger lime:

1. Crown... The height of the tree in its natural habitat reaches 8 m, and the height of the shrub - 3.5 m. The plant is branched, densely leafed. The branches are quite thin, but strong at the same time. They have sharp long spines.
2. Leaves... The leaf plates are small, have an oval-rounded shape, taper at the ends. The color is deep green. The cuttings are short.
3. Bloom... Flowers are small, reaching a diameter of 1.5 cm. Pink outside and white inside. The plant is densely covered. They have an unusual aroma for citrus fruits. The bush blooms in late summer or early autumn.
4. Fruit... They are oval-elongated, often slightly curved. They reach 5-8 cm in length. The color can be burgundy, dark green, red or brown. Under a thin, bright peel are sacs of juice that are white, pink or green. In appearance they resemble eggs. The pulp is juicy, with a sweet and sour taste, in which there is some astringency and coniferous notes. The aroma is intense, but not typically lime.

Finger limes are harvested when they are fully ripe. Unripe fruit tastes bitter.

It is interesting! The price of finger limes reaches $ 100 per kg. It turns out that one lime costs $ 2.

There are several varieties of finger limes. Some of them are presented in the list:

1. Ricks Red. Has a red skin and red flesh.
2. Mia Rose. Fruits with pink skin and pink pulp.
3. Byron Sunrise. Under the skin of a deep wine shade, there is a reddish-orange pulp.
4. Collete. The rind is dark green, almost black. The pulp is light green.
5. Tasty Green. Light green fruits with transparent flesh with a green tint.
6. Bed Centra Lime. Orange peel and inner filling. The pulp is not "eggs", but have a standard citrus look.
7. Green Astoneville. Dark green fruit with light green, almost transparent flesh.
8. Pink Pearl. Almost black skin and coral filling.
9. Pink Ice.Citrus with a golden brownish shape and light pink flesh.
10. Emma. Black fruits with white flesh.
11. Red Champag. Has a red skin and pink flesh.
12. Puple Bliss. Under the golden brown rind, a purple-hued pulp is hidden.
13. Straight Species. Fruits with an almost black skin and white transparent flesh.

Mexican

Mexican lime is one of the most popular varieties of this fruit. It is he who is most often found on the shelves of grocery stores.

Lime variety descriptions:

1. Crown. The shrub grows in natural conditions from 2 to 4 m in height. Sprawling, well leafed. The branches are thin, spreading, covered with thin and sharp spines.
2. Leaves. Dark green, leathery, rounded, with elongated petioles. They reach 7 cm in length.
3. Bloom. Flowers are solitary, small, white. The aroma is weak, often absent altogether. The buds are pinkish on the outside and white on the inside. Flowering occurs in early spring and late summer.
4. Fruit. Ovate, medium in size. They have a thin and smooth green or pale yellow glossy peel. The greenish pulp is juicy and aromatic, sweet and sour. There are few seeds.

There are dozens of varieties of real (Mexican) lime. The list contains the most popular ones:

1. Everglede. It has large fruits with a sharp tip at the top. The peel and flesh are light green in color. It is a very aromatic citrus with a sweet and sour taste.
2. Yung. Differs in year-round fruiting. It has medium-sized fruits of light green color.
3. Kagzi. It has fruits whose color varies from yellowish to dark green, depending on the subtype.
4. Palmetto. Egg-shaped, but practically round fruits with a very thin pale yellow skin. The pulp is juicy with a pronounced aroma.

Palestinian Sweet Lime

Palestinian lime is the sweetest variety of this culture. It is also called Indian. The plant is more like a lemon than other limes.

Description of Sweet Lime:

1. Crown. A medium-sized, spreading tree, the maximum height of which reaches 8 m. Branches are thick, thorny, abundantly leafed.
2. Leaves. Elongated oval shape with a taper at the end. Sometimes folded or twisted. The density is average. The color is pale green.
3. Flowers. Flowers are collected in inflorescences of several pieces. They are of medium size. The color is white inside and outside. The aroma is intense.
4. Fruit. Large, spherical. In some cases, there is a nipple with a small groove at the apex. The peel is thin, thinly adjoining the pulp, smooth, yellow in color. Has a rich lime aroma. The pulp is light yellow, juicy and tender. The taste is sweet, almost without acidity. There are few seeds.

It is interesting! Rangpur is not lime. This is the name of a hybrid of lemon and tangerine. Outwardly, its fruits really resemble sweet lime, but their skin is thicker and more bubbly.

Kaffir lime

Kaffir lime is not real lime. This plant belongs to the species Papeda hedgehog. Its fruits really resemble lime in appearance, but differ in taste.

Characteristics of Kaffir Lime:

1. Crown. A tree that grows up to 2 m in height. It has powerful and durable branches with thorns. The tree is branched, well leafed.
2. Leaves. The leaves are double, shaped like an infinity sign or an hourglass. They are leathery, juicy and dense. The color is dark green. It is the leaves that are most valuable in this plant. Due to their rich citrus tart aroma, they are actively used in cooking.
3. Inflorescences. The flowers are small, with a delicate aroma that differs from other citrus fruits. They are formed by inflorescences of 2-3 pieces and stick tightly to the bush. Outside, the buds are white with light pink spots, while the inside is pure white.
4. Fruit. Fruits are dark green, strongly lumpy, like lime. They have a rich aroma of citrus essential oils. The pulp is dry, tart and sour. It is not consumed raw, but the zest is actively used in cooking.

Round

Australian round lime is considered one of the tallest citrus plants.It got its name from the round fruit.

Description of Round Lime:

1. Crown. A tall tree or shrub, reaching a height of 12 m. The crown is spreading. The branches are powerful, with spines in the axils of the leaves.
2. Leaves. Oval-round or ovoid. There is a serration along the edges, which is especially pronounced closer to the tips. The leaf plates are dark green, with pronounced dots, which are large enlarged pores. Young leaves are lighter and more elongated. The petioles are long.
3. Inflorescences. White or pink. Single, 1 cm in diameter.
4. Fruit. Green color. Medium size. Each fruit has an average diameter of 6.5 cm. The peel is thick and very lumpy. The pulp is sour with a pronounced aroma.

Persian lime

Persian lime or Tahiti lime is a triple hybrid. It contains genes for micro-citrus fruits, grapefruit and lemons.

Description of the plant:

1. Crown. A tall tree with a sprawling, abundantly leafy crown. The branches are thin, but strong, practically without thorns.
2. Leaves. The leaf plates are wide, bright green.
3. Flowers. Medium size. Blooms one year after rooting. The flowers are purple on the outside and white on the inside.
4. Fruit. Small in size. The color is dark green. The pulp is green-yellow, juicy. The taste is sour with a lime aroma. Seeds are absent or very few. The shape is ovoid with a pointed nose.

Deserted

Desert lime is grown in the arid regions of the United States, Australia and Mexico. It is the only citrus that can grow in low humidity conditions, but cannot tolerate humid climates.

Description of Desert Lime:

1. Crown. A thorny shrub or tree up to 7 m high. The branches are thin, covered with thorns, which are unevenly spaced.
2. Leaves. Long oval shape. They are fleshy and flavorful. The color is dark green.
3. Bloom. Small single buds. They are white or greenish on the inside and outside.
4. Fruit. Green or green-yellow round. Very small, their diameter is only 1.5 cm. Very juicy, with a pleasant sour taste and a rich lime aroma.

Features of growing finger lime at home

Indoor finger lime is picky about care. Despite this, if the basic rules of agricultural technology are followed, problems with its cultivation will not arise.

Landing

In its natural environment, finger lime develops as seeds, but they have low germination and germinate slowly. When grown at home, it is used graft on the stock of any other citrus plant.

A seedling for grafting or a young tree in a pot is bought in specialized flower shops or ordered by phone at the nursery.

It is most convenient to graft the cutting into the cleft. To do this, choose a healthy scion with 2-3 buds.

There should be no traces of disease or damage. Vaccination is performed as follows:

1. The stock is cut by 2/3 so that only the trunk remains without leaves. An incision is made in it with a depth of 1-1.5 cm.
2. The lower part of the scion is sharpened into a thin wedge. Its length should be the same as the depth of the cut on the stock.
3. The stock is inserted into the scion so that they are in contact with each other as closely as possible.
4. The junction of the scion with the stock is tightly wrapped with garden tape. There should be no open areas.
5. The plant is covered with a bag or cut bottle. It is sprayed, ventilated and watered daily.

The fact that the graft has taken root is evidenced by the formed leaves or shoots. After that, the greenhouse is dismantled.

Conditions for growth

In order for the finger lime to feel comfortable at home, it is important to provide it with optimal conditions.

They are listed:

1. Temperature. Finger lime is a thermophilic plant. In order for it to bloom and bear fruit, the temperature in the room must be at least 30-35 ° C. If this figure drops below, then the tree will not bear fruit. At temperatures from +2 ° C and below, the tree dies.
2. Lighting. This is a light-loving plant.In the warm season, it is placed on the southern or southwestern windowsill. In early spring and late autumn, additional lighting is recommended. During the day, the window is covered with a translucent curtain to protect the plant from burns.
3. Humidity. It is a moisture-loving plant. To maintain an optimal moisture level, the tree is sprayed daily, 1-2 times a day. In winter, spraying is carried out if the lime is not at rest.
4. Wintering. In winter, it is recommended to introduce citrus fruits to rest. To do this, they are placed in a room with a temperature of + 8 ... + 10 ° C. In such conditions, lime does not need spraying, additional lighting and feeding. Water it 1-2 times a week. If it is not possible to remove the plant in a cold room, then additional lighting is used, the tree is sprayed daily and often watered. It is not recommended to fertilize it at this time.

Note! Finger lime is sensitive to temperature changes. If you put him in a draft, he will die.

Basic rules of care

Finger limes are easy to care for. The main thing is to follow the basic rules:

1. Watering. In warm weather, lime is watered every day or every other day, depending on the temperature outside. Watering should be frequent, but not abundant. For irrigation use warm settled water. The procedure is carried out early in the morning or at sunset.
2. Loosening. Once a week, the soil is loosened. This is necessary to destroy the earth crust and restore normal air exchange.
3. Formation. Finger lime grows very quickly. Sometimes it has to be formed 3 times a year. The first time its top is pinched when it reaches a height of 20-30 cm. Then the lateral shoots are pinched up to 4 orders of magnitude when it reaches a length of 20 cm. At each level, 3 to 6 skeletal branches are left. All diseased and dry shoots are removed.
4. Washing. Once a week, citrus leaves are wiped with a damp cloth. Every month the tree is washed under the shower.
5. Top dressing. Finger limes require less feeding than other citrus fruits. It is fed from the beginning of the growing season to the formation of fruits once every 2-3 weeks. Mineral and organic fertilizers alternate.
6. Transfer. For the first three years, lime is transplanted annually. Then 1 time in 3 g.

Conclusion

Lime is a citrus plant with sour fruits, similar to lemons, but with a different aroma and taste. Contrary to the opinion of many, such a fruit can not only have a green tint. Depending on the variety, it can be green, yellow, pink, burgundy, black, red, etc.

Finger lime is one of the most unusual citrus plants. Its elongated oval fruits have a peel and pulp of the most unusual shades. Inside, they are filled with round sacs of juice that resemble caviar. And such an exotic tree is also easy to grow at home.