Finger Lime- Microcitrus australasica

JodieDownUnder
JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,481 admin
in Other Cultivated Edibles (Trees, Shrubs, & Flowers)

These shrubby trees would normally grow as understory in some rainforest areas. They have become very popular with chefs/cooks for there caviar like appearance and zesty citrus pop! Now you can buy them in nurseries, most likely grafted. Grafted varieties take 3-5 yrs to bear fruit, ones got going from seed, a lot longer, 7-10 yrs. They come in a couple different colours, lemon, lime and pink. I love a little finger lime on a fresh oyster, heaven!

They like a bit of wind protection, will grow in full sun but probably best in part shade and like a well drained soil. They make a great hedge. I am definitely going to plant a few very soon.

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  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    I love your sharing all these trees with us!

    So, how big is the fruit? Are you grating the peel or do you chop the whole fruit? I'm trying to picture it on the oyster.

    Off topic, but could you answer another tree question for me. I was singing the Kookaburra song to a couple of my kiddos this week, and one of them wanted to know about the gum tree. I realized I didn't know what the gum tree was. Is it a kind of eucalyptus?

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,390 admin

    @jodienancarrow Do you know how they would do as house plants? I found a BC company that is selling citrus and they have it listed but no picture and no suggestion of growing conditions aside from it being a zone 10 plant. I didn't know the interior would be different. Fascinating.

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  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,481 admin

    @torey I think it would go great in a pot, they don’t grow huge and like pruning. Not too much fertiliser either.

    @blevinandwomba fruit about the size of the average finger, maybe a little fatter. When you cut them open, the flesh is just all these little balls and no juice. So 1 finger lime sprinkled over a salad, would be heaps. 1 finger lime spread over 1 dozen oysters would be enough.

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    Re kookaburra song, it doesn’t say what kind of gum tree, yes some type of eucalyptus. I’ve always thought it was a big old red gum. E camaldulensis . We have a family of 4 hanging around our house of a morning, the first bird calls we hear every morning lately, makes me smile. If I can I’ll try and video them and post it to the forum for you.

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,390 admin

    That is an amazing fruit, @jodienancarrow. Does the interior still taste like lime with all those little balls? I think I might have to get one. I'll weigh out the price against my terrible luck with houseplants.

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  • blevinandwomba
    blevinandwomba Posts: 813 ✭✭✭✭

    I get it now. When you said "caviar like" I was so confused. I think that is the coolest fruit I have ever seen. I'm with torey; I really want it as a houseplant now.

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  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,481 admin

    @torey for such a small fruit, it gives real “bang for its buck” You can just pop the little balls with your tongue and it causes a flavour explosion, makes me smile every time. Think salads, seafood, cheese platters. Could even add to jams and jellies.

    @blevinandwomba I got a couple going from seed but gee they’re slow. Been in a pot now for 2 yrs and lucky to be 12” inches high. I’m going to look out for a grafted one, preferably pink. Although the taste doesn’t really change.

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  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    @torey I have one in my house in a pot. I have not gotten fruit yet, but I am looking forward to it. You will want to look for one grafted on dwarf stock to grow indoors since it will produce a smaller root system. Here is a link: https://www.logees.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=%22finger+lime%22. I don't know if they ship outside of the USA though.

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  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,206 admin

    @Cornelius Unfortunately they do not ship to Canada. I have wanted wonderful things from them before but couldn't find them up here. 😕

    @jodienancarrow It would be nice to try to grow one.

    @torey Who sells them?

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  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,390 admin

    @LaurieLovesLearning Phoenix Perennials in Richmond, BC. https://www.phoenixperennials.com/the-great-citrus-pre-order/

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  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,753 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My Finger Lime has a lot of flowers I cannot wait! In So. Calif I have seen them at Lowes and Walmart, I am guessing so does Home Depot.

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  • silvertipgrizz
    silvertipgrizz Posts: 1,990 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I want one lol....but I also want a moringa.. 😂

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  • kfoto
    kfoto Posts: 108 ✭✭✭

    So does any one have recipes on this finger lime?

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  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,481 admin

    @kfoto no recipes, just use naturally on anything you desire.

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  • Cornelius
    Cornelius Posts: 872 ✭✭✭✭

    @silvertipgrizz Here is a link for Moringa seeds. I believe that they only ship in the USA though. https://www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/dwarf-moringa/moringa-dwarf

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