Fruit · Rutaceae
When to plant limes
The most tender citrus of all, and the one most obviously happier as a container plant that comes indoors than as a garden tree anywhere marginal.
First worthwhile crop
Year 2
After planting, not after sowing.
Hardy in USDA zones
10a to 11a
Winter cold sets the limit here, not the calendar.
Frost tolerance
Tender
How much cold the plant itself will take.
Those weeks become real dates once you name a place.
Timing, in frost-relative terms
Nothing about a standing crop is sown to a calendar. Once planted, limes stay in the ground for years, so the question is not when to sow but whether your winter is survivable and your planting window is open. Both answers come from your frost dates.
- Expect a first worthwhile crop in year 2 after planting.
- Hardy in USDA zones 10a–11a.
Frost tolerance
Damaged at around -1C. There is effectively no frost tolerance here at all.
Classified as tender, with damage expected below -2°C (28.4°F)28.4°F (-2°C).