How to Take Care of a Spanish Lime Tree

MAMONCILLO; SPANISH LIME; GINEP

The plants should be grown in pots until of sufficient size to set in the ground. At least 2ft height is recommended. Use a well draining potting mix with no fertilizer already added to the soil. A potting soil such as “Miracle Grow” will kill the young tree. Trees should be kept protected from any frost for as long as possible. Grow in full sun to partial shade. In the ground they are tolerant of many soil types, but like a deep soil best. They will grow in the poorest of Florida soils with no cultural attention at all. Plants in pots should be regularly watered, but not over watered. Evenly moist, but not wet is best. Fertilize monthly while temps are warm with 1/4 the label recommended fertilize. In the ground the plants are tolerant of floods and drought once established. When first planted they should be watered regularly.

Spanish Lime

Mamoncillo is known in Florida as the Spanish Lime. It has many names in the different areas in which it grows. Ginep is one and there are several spellings of that. The tree originates in tropical America from the lowlands up to 6000ft in the mountains. It is frost hardy to about 27F.

These seedlings are from trees producing particularly large sweet fruit. As in papayas, the trees are mostly male or female with a few producing blooms of both sexes and able to fruit on their own. It is a beautiful tree that will get to 85ft in the tropics. Much smaller in Florida, of course. It is not particular to soil types and is very drought tolerant. Once established it needs no care at all.

These trees are an interesting study for bonsai. As fruit trees, they have long racemes of fragrant white blooms followed by grape like clusters of fruit. Individual fruits look likes small limes. The fruit has a leathery skin that easily cracks and peels away from the orange flesh of the fruit. It is somewhat like a lychee with a sweet sub acid flavor. The thin flesh surrounds a large white seed. These can be roasted and eaten like nuts.