Limes are one of the top citruses for Southeast Asian and Mexican cuisine. We always have at least 10 limes hanging out in our kitchen ready for guac, papaya salad, or just for squeezing on a fresh bowl of soup. What a dream it will be to go in my backyard to gather fresh limes for dinner.

But there are many varieties to choose from, and a lime trees can sometimes be finicky. Is it worth growing in Northern California? And if we’re willing to take up valuable backyard real estate with a lime tree, which variety is best?

In this post, we’ll go over some useful information if you’re thinking about owning a lime tree as well as some varieties suitable for the Bay Area.

Growing limes in your California yard is practical for a couple reasons.

The first is the cost of limes - have you ever noticed it fluctuates? I remember getting limes at 10 for a dollar, but now sometimes they're at least 2 or 3 per dollar. I’ve just kind of gotten used to it but now (especially with the recent increase in avocado prices) my guac is just getting more expensive.

The reason for this is for the most part, limes are imported. They used to be grown in South Florida until the Citrus Canker (bacterial disease) overtook the citrus orchards. To contain the spread, US farmers removed all lime trees, since it was thought to be the main host.

Since the US no longer produces enough limes to fill American markets, limes must be imported from Mexico. Unfortunately, they have their own production and export problems due to droughts and drug cartel interference. Hence the recent lime shortages causing price hikes.

The second practical reason is that growing limes outdoors is a bit easier in California than most other states.

Although they’re a bit more finicky than other citrus (and we’ll get into the deets below), if you choose the right variety for your yard’s microclimate, place the tree in an ideal location, and give it a little attention when it’s young, you will have a thriving and productive lime tree in your backyard.

Some general facts about lime trees:

Along the citrus fruit spectrum, limes (along with lemons) are the most cold-sensitive.

Most lime trees don’t respond well to temperatures below 32 and can die if unprotected and temperatures reach the 20’s. There are a few varieties that are more cold resilient than others, so choose the right one for your climate.

Lime trees vary in size in terms of spread and height, and some are not suitable for container growing.

Some citruses are great for growing in containers (👋🏼 Meyer lemon), and thus can be brought indoors when temperatures reach near freezing. But for the most part, limes don’t do well with this method and in fact some require pretty hot temperatures for fruit production. Something else to think about when choosing your variety.

Did you know that your limes will turn yellow?

It’s totally natural and actually a sign of a ripe lime. You can still pick ‘em when they’re green, after all, that’s what commercial growers do to increase storage time. If you grow your own limes, you’ll soon be cooking with yellow limes with delicious tart flavor!

Before choosing a lime tree, you should always know your Sunset Climate Zone.

Although knowing your USDA hardiness zone is important, learning your Sunset climate zone will provide a full picture of your growing environment.

What’s the difference between the USDA and Sunset zones?

The USDA hardiness zones categorizes growing areas along North America by winter low temperatures. This allows us to calculate approximate frost dates to ensure we make the most of our growing season.

The Sunset climate zone divides the western US’s growing into zones that consider the following characteristics: latitude and elevation, ocean and continental air influence, and relative position within a mountain or valley.

To find your Sunset Climate zone, I recommend checking out Sunset’s Western Garden Site.

With your Sunset Climate Zone, check local gardener’s extensions and nurseries for climate-specific resources and lists.

The University of California’s Agricultural and Natural Resources page is an awesome reference. Within that site you can find informative sections on growing anything in California soil. Check out California Garden Web and California Backyard Orchard.

Also, if you’re really into cultivating a backyard orchard in California, check out Dave Wilson’s Nursery website (I buy all my pluots from them!) Dave Wilson also has great videos on pruning on their FruitTube channel.

For information on everything citrus, I would check out Four Winds Growers.

Ready to choose?

Here are suggested lime varieties for growing in the Bay Area:

These lime varieties all grow in Sunset climate zones 8,9 and 12-24.

Bearss Lime (pronounced “beers” 🍻)

source: wikipedia, attribution Forest and Kim Starr

Other common names: Persian Limes, Tahitian, seedless lime, Shiraz limoo
Latin name: Citrus x latifolia
Fruit Characteristics: Medium oval fruit about 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter. Smooth skin and thin rind. Juicy with “true lime” flavor. In California, Will turn from green to yellow when it ripens (but sold in stores as green color). Thicker-skinned than Mexican lime
Culinary use: dried limes are used commonly in Persian cuisine, cocktails, good general cooking lime
Seedless? Yes.
Thornless: almost completely
Mature Tree Height: about 20 ft, dwarf is about 6-8 feet
Can it be container grown? Yes
Fruit Production: Heavy, year-round, Lower heat requirement for fruit to reach maturity.
Cold hardiness: Protect below 32. (more cold tolerant than Mexican lime)
Other notes: One of the three commercially produced limes, with most of the limes coming into the US from Mexico. A US favorite due to large size and juice content.

Mexican Lime

source: wikipedia, attribution: Forest & Kim Starr

Other common names: Key Lime, West Indian Lime, Bartenders, Omani
Latin name: Citrus x aurantiifolia
Fruit Characteristics: Very smooth skin, round shape. Juicy with tart and bitter flavor, 7-8% citric acid (very acidic), 1-2 inches in diameter.
Culinary use: great for both sweet and savory dishes, cocktails, tacos, Key Lime pie!
Seedless: No
Thornless: can get both thorned or thornless trees
Mature Tree Height: 6-10’ (in ground)
Can it be container grown: Yes
Fruit Production: In CA: May-June and Nov-Dec. Requires high heat to set fruit
Cold hardiness: Hardy to 32
Other Notes: One of the three commercially produced limes. Produced heavily in India, Mexico; less vigorous, less robust than Persian lime trees. The most frost sensitive of this group, so only grow this if there’s no frost. Great for coastal and tropical environments.

Australian Finger Limes

Other common names: caviar lime
Latin name: Citrus australasica
Fruit Characteristics: Limes are elongated and finger shaped! Rind comes in many colors. They are self fertile. Produces “citrus caviar”, which is flesh is divided into vesicles.
Culinary use: Cocktails, garnish for dishes
Seedless: Yes
Thornless: Yes
Mature Tree Height: 8’-12’
Can it be container grown: No
Fruit Production: Winter/Spring
Cold hardiness: Hardy to 32
Other Notes: Not suitable for indoor growing due to its spread and size

Limequat

Other common names:
Latin name: Citrus × floridana
Fruit Characteristics: Cross between a mexican key lime and kumquat. Tart lime flavor. Small, olive shaped, greenish-yellow.
Seedless: No
Thornless: No
Mature Tree Height: 4’-8’
Can it be container grown: No
Fruit Production: Nov-Mar, can be ever-bearing.
Culinary use: Cocktails and candied. You can sub limequats for limes in most dishes!
Cold hardiness: Hardy to 30.
Notes: Prolific/highly productive. Beautiful ornamental tree. This is a great tree if you receive occasional frost, as it is more frost tolerant.

Rangpur Lime

Other common names: Syhlet lime, surkh nimboo, and sharbati. Canton-lemon, mandarin-lime, Kona lime
Latin name: Citrus × limonia
Fruit Characteristics: Reddish orange rind with highly acidic orange flesh.
Seedless: Contains seeds.
Thornless: some can be thornless
Mature Tree Height: 6-10’ (in ground)
Can it be container grown: Yes
Fruit Production: Fall, Some fruit all year.
Culinary use: cocktails, marmalade, sub for lime juice in sweet and savory dishes.
Cold hardiness: Cold tolerant down to 15.
Other notes: Vigorous and very productive. Not technically a “lime”, but can be used as one because of its highly sour flavor.

Palestine Sweet Lime

Other common names: Indian sweet lime, sweet lime
Latin name: Citrus limettioides
Fruit Characteristics: Very low acid and low sugar. Fruits are round and small, with thin and smooth skin. Very juicy, slightly bitter aftertaste.
Culinary use: Used in Indian, Middle Eastern and Latin American cooking.
Seedless: No
Thornless: No
Mature Tree Height: 8’-10’ (in ground)
Can it be container grown: Yes
Fruit Production: Fall
Cold hardiness: Hardy to 30
Other notes: When grown in CA, the fruit can vary on size and color depending on the growing zone.

Makrut Lime

Other common names: Kaffir, Keiffer, Thai lime
Latin name: Citrus hystrix
Fruit Characteristics: Very rough, bumpy skin limes, thick rind, 2 inch in diameter fruit,
Culinary use: Leaves are used in Southeast Asian cooking, fruit is usually too acidic to cook with, but the rinds can be pickled or curried.
Seedless: No
Thornless: Contains thorns
Mature Tree Height: 6-10’ (in ground)
Can it be container grown: Yes
Fruit Production: In the Fall
Cold hardiness: Hardy to 32.
Other notes: One of the three commercially produced limes.

Which limes are we growing?

I’ve always had trouble growing limes trees except for the makrut tree. I’ve always been around makrut trees my whole life. Even in the midwest, my mom kept a huge one in a container that we wheeled into the house during winters. It’s an essential component for Thai cooking - so we always had one nearby.

In my latest house, I haven’t yet found a makrut tree. They’re all sold out everywhere! I’m going to keep looking though, and it's definitely at the top of my list.

In addition, I’m going to try to grow a couple different varieties with my makrut. I have armed myself with lots of information, good fertilizer, and good lime intentions.

First up:

Our newest lime tree: Mr. Bearss! Right now he’s living in a pot until I can figure out where to put him. He’s super healthy with little fruits already, amazing smelling flowers and tons of new growth. He’s got to get at least 8 hours of sun and I think I have the perfect spot for him.

I would also love to try another new variety, like the Australian Finger lime, but I’ve read that these trees can get large! So I’ll have to see what other trees I have planned and if there will be room.

I hope you were able to brainstorm a little about lime trees for your backyard! Did you see any that you like for your landscape?

Hi! I’m Adriana.

May 4 How to choose the right lime tree for your Bay Area garden