Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia
Southern Asia
Types
Citrus hystrix
African iris, Large wild iris, Cape iris
Number of Varieties
16
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Deep, gardens, old gardens, Well Drained
Coastal Regions, Forest margins, Slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm70.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White
White, Yellow, Blue, Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Yellow, Green, Yellow green
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Water Deeply
Average Water Needs, Water more in summer
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Thinning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads, Remove short twigs, Remove wet foliage
Fertilizers
Apply N-P-K, can go long without fertilizers
Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Armored scales, Fomes root rot, Mites, Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Cold climate, Drought, Heat And Humidity
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Bees, Butterflies, Flying insects, Insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Borders, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes, Water gardening
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, soil stabilisation, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Blood purifier, Digestion problems, Digestive disorders
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Flowers
Other Uses
Making Shampoo, Used as insect repellent
Screen, useful as a ground cover
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Mixed Border
Bedding Plant, Bog Garden, Container, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Botanical Name
CITRUS hystrix
DIETES grandiflora
Common Name
Kaffir Lime, Makrut
Butterfly Iris
In Hindi
काफ़िर लाइम
तितली आइरिस प्लांट
In German
Kaffernlimette
Schmetterling Iris Pflanzen
In French
combava
Papillon Iris Plante
In Spanish
cafre
Planta del iris de la mariposa
In Greek
Καφρός Lime
Πεταλούδα Iris Φυτών
In Portuguese
Kaffir Lime
Borboleta da planta Iris
In Polish
kaffir wapno
Butterfly Iris Roślin
In Latin
Cafres Lime
Gloria Iris Planta
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Liliales
Family
Rutaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Citrus
Dietes Salisb
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Irideae
Subfamily
-
Iridoideae
Number of Species
400260
1
27800
👆🏻