Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Thornless Mexican Lime
Thornless Mexican lime gives you the classic key lime, small, tart and aromatic, on a tree with virtually no thorns. The fruit runs from ping-pong ball to golf ball size and is used for pies, cooking and drinks. It grows into a small, bushy evergreen tree that fits a smaller yard or a large patio pot. Fragrant white blossoms open mostly in spring and bring in bees.
Best for: key limes for pies, cooking and drinks on a tree with virtually no thorns. A small citrus tree for a warm spot near the house or a large patio pot.
It bears the same small, tart key limes used for pie, drinks and cooking. The regular Mexican lime has sharp thorns, while this selection has virtually none on its branches.
Expect about 8 to 15 feet tall and wide in the ground, with a bushy shape. Plant it in full sun, about 8 to 10 feet from other trees.
Smaller citrus trees are a good pick for pots, and in a pot it stays smaller, about 6 to 10 feet. Use a pot about 20 to 24 inches across with drainage holes, and move it to shelter on frosty nights.
Leaves can be damaged near 30 to 32°F, and wood dies back below about 29°F. Bare trunks sunburn in the Valley, so keep the low branches.
- Row of lime treesAbout 8 to 10 ft apart
- Standalone tree8 to 10 ft from other trees
A young citrus tree needs water every few days in its first months, more often in summer. Water out past the edge of the canopy, not at the trunk.
Soak it 2 to 3 feet deep about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Never water shallow and daily.
Feed with citrus fertilizer three times a year, the lemon and lime schedule: January to February, March to April, and August to September.
It needs only light pruning, from late winter into spring, never in summer. Leave the low branches to shade the trunk, and paint any exposed bark with white latex paint.
This is the most frost tender citrus. Plant it close to the house, and on cold nights drape frost cloth or sheets over the tree to the ground. Water the day before a freeze.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Is a thornless Mexican lime the same as a key lime?
Yes. It bears the same small, tart key limes used for pie, cooking and drinks. The difference is the tree, which has virtually no thorns.
Does a thornless Mexican lime have any thorns?
It has virtually no thorns. The regular Mexican lime carries sharp, stiff thorns, mostly on young shoots. If thorns are your worry near a path or patio, this is the lime to pick.
How big does a thornless Mexican lime get?
Expect about 8 to 15 feet tall and about as wide in the ground. In a pot it stays smaller, about 6 to 10 feet. Light pruning in late winter or spring keeps it in shape.
How far apart should I plant thornless lime trees?
Plant them about 8 to 10 feet apart center to center for a row, and keep a single tree about 8 to 10 feet from other trees. The Spacing tab can count trees for a row.
Can I grow a thornless Mexican lime in a pot?
Yes. Smaller citrus trees are a good pick for pots. Use a pot about 20 to 24 inches across with drainage holes, check the soil often in summer, and keep it off hot west walls and pavement.
Which size should I buy?
The 15 gallon is the easier tree to cover on frosty nights while it roots in. The 25 gallon gives you more size at planting, and the 36 inch box the most. The size guide describes each one.
When are thornless Mexican limes ready to pick?
The limes run from ping-pong ball to golf ball size. Pick them green for cooking, or let them turn greenish yellow, which shows they are fully ripe.
Thornless Mexican lime vs Bearss lime: which should I plant?
Thornless Mexican lime has small, seedy, tart fruit with the classic key lime flavor. Bearss has larger, seedless fruit, and it takes a little more cold.
How cold can a thornless Mexican lime take?
It is the most frost tender citrus. Leaves can be damaged at 30 to 32°F, and wood dies back below about 29°F. Plant it close to the house and cover it with frost cloth or sheets to the ground on cold nights, never plastic.
How often should I water a lime tree?
Water deeply, out past the edge of the canopy, 2 to 3 feet down. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Young trees need water every few days at first.
When should I fertilize a lime tree?
Limes and lemons get three feedings a year with citrus fertilizer. Apply one in January or February, one in March or April, and one in August or September.
Is a lime tree safe for dogs and cats?
No. Lime trees are listed as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the peel, leaves or stems can cause vomiting, diarrhea and depression, so keep pets from chewing on the tree.
Thornless Mexican Lime for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Thornless Mexican lime is the key lime on a tree with virtually no thorns, grown for its small, tart, aromatic fruit. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask most, from size and spacing to pots, harvest, frost and feeding.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Is there a key lime tree without thorns?
Yes. Thornless Mexican lime bears the same small, tart key limes as the regular tree, with virtually no thorns. The regular Mexican lime has sharp, stiff thorns, mostly on young shoots.
How big does a thornless Mexican lime get in Arizona?
Expect about 8 to 15 feet tall and about as wide in the ground, with a bushy shape. In a large pot it stays smaller, about 6 to 10 feet.
Can you grow key limes in Phoenix?
Yes, with frost care. Limes are the most frost tender citrus, so plant it in the warmest spot close to the house or in a pot you can move. Cover it with frost cloth or sheets to the ground on cold nights.
How far apart do you plant lime trees?
Plant thornless Mexican limes about 8 to 10 feet apart center to center for a row. The spacing calculator can count trees for a row.
Growing a key lime in a pot
Smaller citrus trees are a good pick for pots. Use a pot about 20 to 24 inches across with drainage holes. Pots dry out fast in summer, so check the soil often and keep the pot off hot west walls and pavement.
Watering and feeding a lime tree in the Valley
Water deeply, 2 to 3 feet down and out past the canopy edge. Established trees need water about every 7 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in winter. Feed with citrus fertilizer in January or February, March or April, and August or September.
Thornless Mexican lime vs Bearss lime
Thornless Mexican lime has small, seedy, tart key limes on a bushy tree. Bearss has larger, seedless fruit and takes a little more cold.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.