Lime
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called bearss lime, Limes, Persian Lime and Tahiti lime.
Lime is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Citrus bearing lemons or limes only: the fruit is a skin allergen and can harm skin exposed to sunlight. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H3 — -5 to 1°C -5 to 1 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Citrus bearing lemons or limes only: the fruit is a skin allergen and can harm skin exposed to sunlight. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Water lime trees regularly, particularly in drought, and feed them 3 or 4 times each year, to support growth and regular fruiting.NC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026While growing in spring and summer, water generously and mist every day. Use a citrus fertiliser all year round as directed by the manufacturer; give little water in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- Feed lime trees 3 or 4 times per year, and water regularly, particularly in drought, to support growth and steady fruiting.NC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026Use a citrus fertiliser all year round, following the manufacturer’s directions; water sparingly in winter.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- It can be propagated by grafting or layering.NC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026In summer, root semi-ripe cuttings; in early spring, layer. Sow seed in spring at 16°C; the seedlings are not true to type.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Prune only for shaping, removing dead wood and restricting size.NC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026Follow pruning group 1.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Glasshouse red spider mite, mealybugs and scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
- Climate
- wet tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- shrub or treeWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Perennial, Shrub, Tree; habit dense, rounded, weepingNC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 96–240 in; width 96–240 inNC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026Height 2.5-4 metres; spread 1-1.5 metres after 10–20 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers purple/lavender, white; blooms in spring, winterNC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026Flowers white in springRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Tahiti lime oil is common in flavorings and cosmetics. Its juice goes into drinks, syrups, jams, jellies, hard candy and baking, is used as a sauce for meat and fish and in marinades, and appears in sorbets, sherbets, pie and ice cream. The fruit garnishes meat and drinks. The fruit and juice are edible.NC State Extension, filed as Citrus x latifolia · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.