Spanish Lime, Quenepa (Melicoccus bijugatus)

4.1
Rated 4.1 out of 5 stars
15 Reviews
Regular price $18.95
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43 in stock

Pot Size

Sweet and Tangy Tropical Fruit

Common Names: Spanish Lime, Quenepa, Mamoncillo, Genip, Limoncillo, Kenep, Chenet
Family: Sapindaceae
Origin: Northern South America and the Caribbean

The Spanish Lime (Melicoccus bijugatus), also known as Quenepa or Mamoncillo, is a tropical fruit tree native to the Caribbean, Central, and South America. This tree produces small, green fruits that resemble limes, but the flesh inside is sweet and tangy with a jelly-like consistency. Spanish Lime is widely loved for its refreshing taste and is often eaten fresh as a snack or used in beverages and desserts. In addition to its delicious fruit, the Spanish Lime tree is highly ornamental, with a rounded canopy and glossy green leaves, making it a popular choice for tropical landscapes.

Distinctive Features, Uses, and Nutritional Value

Fruits: The fruits of the Spanish Lime are small, round, and covered with a smooth, green skin. Inside, the orange or yellowish pulp is sweet and tangy, with a texture similar to lychee or longan. The fruit is eaten fresh by sucking the pulp from the seed or used in juices, jams, and desserts. Spanish Lime is rich in vitamins A and C, fiber, and antioxidants, making it a healthy and hydrating snack.

Foliage: The tree features pinnate, glossy green leaves that provide dense shade and create a lush, tropical appearance.

Growth Habit: Spanish Lime trees can grow up to 80 feet tall in ideal conditions but are usually pruned to a more manageable height of 30-50 feet in home gardens.

Culinary and Medicinal Uses

Spanish Lime is primarily enjoyed as a fresh fruit, with its sweet, tangy flavor making it a popular street food in the Caribbean and Latin America. The fruit can also be used to make juices, jams, or fermented beverages. In traditional medicine, various parts of the tree, including the bark and leaves, have been used to treat digestive issues, lower blood pressure, and alleviate respiratory problems.

Plant Type:
Tropical/Subtropical Fruit Tree

Harvest Season:
Summer, Fall

Flowers bloom in mid-late spring, bearing fruit mid-summer through fall. 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. The rind becomes somewhat more brittle when ripe.

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.

Soil & Moisture:
Rich well-draining soil with lots of water, especially during hotter months.

Light Requirements:
Full Sun, Part Shade

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. At this stage in the plants growth, there is no way to tell the gender, so we recommend getting multiple plants for the best chances of future fruit!

Growth Rate:
Medium, Slow

Zone Hardiness:
Outdoors 9-12 with frost protection until established; Patio/Greenhouse 4+

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:
Our Spanish Lime is grown from seed and capable to fruit in about 5 years. 

Our Plantable Coconut Coir & Peat Pots are 100% biodegradable, compostable and can be planted directly in the soil! Our Nursery & Citrapots are recyclable and reusable!
4.1
Rated 4.1 out of 5 stars
Based on 15 reviews
Total 5 star reviews: 10 Total 4 star reviews: 1 Total 3 star reviews: 1 Total 2 star reviews: 1 Total 1 star reviews: 2
73%would recommend this product
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15 reviews
  • DC
    Dennis C.
    Verified Buyer
    I recommend this product
    Years Gardening 10+
    Grown This Variety Before? No
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    Spanish lime

    Cute little tree,love it I need to figure out if it's male or female may need to order another one according to what I read

  • L
    Lenee
    I do not recommend this product
    Rated 1 out of 5 stars
    2 months ago
    1 Star

    Paid for large. I received a tiny one stem plant.

  • V
    Veronica
    I recommend this product
    Rated 4 out of 5 stars
    3 months ago
    4 Stars

    It has yellowing leaves. It is in a new pot, so we’ll see.

  • V
    Veronica
    I do not recommend this product
    Rated 2 out of 5 stars
    6 months ago
    2 Stars

    It’s alive. I bought and had it shipped to my son in Florida. As I’m in Alabama, I can’t know how it’s doing

  • L
    Lisa
    I recommend this product
    Rated 5 out of 5 stars
    1 year ago
    5 Stars

    Perfect condition

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