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Kaffir lime

Citrus hystrix

Also called Thai Bai Makrut, Porcupine Orange, Makrut Lime, Mauritius Papeda, Celebes Papeda, Thai Lime, Kansi

Kaffir lime
Photo: Robyn Jay from Sydney, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0

Kaffir lime is a thorny citrus shrub or small tree native to tropical Southeast Asia, grown for its aromatic double leaves and bumpy, very acidic fruit. It thrives in warm, humid, frost-free conditions and in large containers.

Family
Rutaceae (Citrus family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Light
Full sun
Water
Water when the top few centimetres of soil feel dry, and avoid waterlogging.
Soil
Free-draining, fertile potting mix or garden loam with added organic matter.
Temperature
18–32 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: Peel and pulp contain furanocoumarins that can cause phytophotodermatitis, a severe skin inflammation when skin is exposed to sunlight after contact.
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
E. Himalaya to China (Yunnan, N. Guangxi) and Wallis I.
Climate
wet tropical

About

Citrus hystrix, called the kaffir lime, Thai lime or makrut lime, (US: , UK: ) is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia.

Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine, and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and crushed leaves emit an intense citrus fragrance.

How to grow it

C. hystrix is grown worldwide in suitable climates as a garden shrub for home fruit production. It is well suited to container gardens and for large garden pots on patios, terraces, and in conservatories.

Safety

C. hystrix contains significant quantities of furanocoumarins, in both the peel and the pulp. Furanocoumarins are known to cause phytophotodermatitis, a potentially severe skin inflammation. Cases of phytophotodermatitis induced by external use of C. hystrix have been reported.

Other Citrus plants

Calamansi · Citrofortunella · Nasnaran Mandarin · Ada Jamir · Key lime · Bitter orange · Bergamot orange · Ichang Lemon or Ichang papeda · Celebes papeda · Clementine · Heen naran · Daidai

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Kaffir lime by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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