Question 1

Is the grocery lime a Key lime?

Accepted Answer

Almost never. UF/IFAS Citrus Culture in the Home Landscape lists Persian lime (Tahiti) as nearly seedless with a June–September band, and Key lime (West Indian) as everbearing, seedy, and cold sensitive. The bag in the produce aisle is almost always Tahiti.

Question 2

Can a lime live in a pot on an Orlando patio?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as a freeze plan. UF/IFAS citrus guidance says container-grown citrus can be planted any month. Growing Tahiti Limes in the Home Landscape puts leaf damage below 28°F, wood damage below about 26°F. Key lime foliage can burn at 30–32°F (CH092). Hypothesis: a pot that rolls into a garage is the honest patio plan for those nights, because the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map average for Orlando (10a) is not a freeze-proof.

Question 3

When does a Tahiti lime bloom and set fruit in Florida?

Accepted Answer

Per Tahiti lime guidance: some bloom occurs all year, with the heaviest bloom in Florida from February to April. Fruit takes 90–120 days from bloom to maturity. Greatest production is June, July, and August. Tahiti lime does not require pollination to set fruit. Persian lime in The home-landscape guide Table 1 is listed as susceptible to postbloom fruit drop.

Question 4

Does Florida humidity help a lime tree?

Accepted Answer

Heat and rain drive bloom and fruit sizing. The same wet season feeds foliar disease. UF/IFAS Tahiti and Key lime papers flag greasy spot, melanose, postbloom fruit drop, and—on Key lime—anthracnose during the rainy months. Hypothesis: humid Orlando nights keep foliage wet longer, so those rainy-season notes still apply on a patio tree. Do not wet flowers with a sprinkler during bloom.

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