Growing Guide: Spanish Lime

Attribute	Details
Botanical Name	Melicoccus bijugatus
Common Names	Spanish Lime, Quenepa, Mamoncillo, Genip, Limoncillo, Kenep, Chenet
Family	Sapindaceae
Origin	Northern South America and the Caribbean
Plant Type	Tropical/Subtropical Fruit Tree
Life Cycle	Perennial
Mature Size	Typically grown and maintained up to 6–12 ft. tall with a canopy spread of up to 4 ft. Can grow up to 40 ft. in native landscape or if allowed.
Light	Full Sun, Part Shade
Water Needs	High, especially during hotter months
Soil	Rich, well-draining soil with lots of water
Bloom Time	Mid–Late Spring
Flower Color	White to Greenish
USDA Zones	Outdoors 9–12 with frost protection until established; Patio/Greenhouse 4+
Florida Native	No
Propagation	Seed
Seasonal Traits	Evergreen
Self-Fertile	Yes and No. A few cultivars are self-fruitful. However, with seedlings, both male and female trees are usually needed, and even self-fruitful cultivars do better with a second male nearby.
Growth Rate	Medium, Slow
Harvest Season	Summer, Fall
Time to Harvest	About 5 years from seed
Ripeness	There is no color change when the fruit are ripe. Tasting is the most reliable method of identifying ripeness. The fruit are more tart than sweet when not ripe, and the rind becomes somewhat more brittle when ripe.
Cold Hardiness	Young trees are hardy only to 32°F. Cold hardiness gradually improves with age, and very old trees may withstand 20°F, although small branches and leaves will be killed.

Propagation

Medium plants can fruit in about 5 years from seed; our 3-gallon XL plants are approximately 4–5 ft. tall and may fruit sooner depending on growing conditions.

 

Pollination

A few cultivars are self-fruitful. However, with seedlings, both male and female trees are usually needed, and even self-fruitful cultivars do better with a second male nearby. At this stage in the plant’s growth, there is no way to tell the gender, so we recommend getting multiple plants for the best chances of future fruit.