Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Southeastern Asia
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Citrus hystrix
Number of Varieties
201
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Deep, gardens, old gardens, Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 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
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Average Water Needs, Water Deeply
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune for shortening long shoots, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Thinning
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Apply N-P-K, can go long without fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
-
Armored scales, Fomes root rot, Mites, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate, Drought, Heat And Humidity
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bonsai
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Blood purifier, Digestion problems, Digestive disorders
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Making Shampoo, Used as insect repellent
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
CITRUS hystrix
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Kaffir Lime, Makrut
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
काफ़िर लाइम
In German
Shell Ginger
Kaffernlimette
In French
Shell Ginger
combava
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
cafre
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Καφρός Lime
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Kaffir Lime
In Polish
Shell Imbir
kaffir wapno
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Cafres Lime
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Sapindales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Citrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
-
Number of Species
150400
1
27800
👆🏻