Lime Fruit Tree

This small fruit tree grows up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and lives for up to 35 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 67 years old. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has a very thick, straight trunk covered in paper-thin, knobbly, mahogany-coloured bark, and inside, the hard wood is dark brown.

The numerous branches are very long, thin and wispy and are covered with very large amounts of small, 8 pointed leaves with ripped edges. The leaves themselves are lime on the edges and gold at the center.

In early spring, it produces handfuls of giant, lime blossoms with pleated petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They fall easily and have a strong scent that smells like perfume.

In early summer it produces tiny, cuboid fruit. The clammy hazel skin is tough and sweet and bitter, and the very soft white flesh is sweet and very dry. The slate seeds are small and are located in the centre of the fruit.

The roots are shallow and widely spread, and overall the tree is rigid and brittle.

Forests of this species feature well-spaced trees, with the space between filled with undergrowth.