Spanish lime
Melicoccus bijugatus · Sapindaceae
Spanish lime (Melicoccus bijugatus) is a perennial tree in the Sapindaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 8 and warmer, down to about 17°F.
At a glance
| Type | tree USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 60 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 4–7.5 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | Green USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 8 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | canopy Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It is recorded on soils from pH 4 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 60 ft, making it a large tree that will dominate its site. It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are green.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is year round. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. USDA rates its lifespan as long.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 30 to 100 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 60 inches, too deep for containers or thin soil over bedrock. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed, cuttings and container stock. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a moderate rate. It spreads vegetatively at a slow rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated none, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Role in a guild
Canopy. In a layered planting this is the tallest layer of a planting — it sets the light budget everything beneath it lives on. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- breadfruit Artocarpus altilis
- common bamboo Bambusa vulgaris
- gray sheoak Casuarina glauca
- coconut palm Cocos nucifera
- river redgum Eucalyptus camaldulensis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol MEBI, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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