Excalibur red lime hybrid

Citrus limonia Osbeck RUTACEAE

CRC 4239
VI 924

Source

Received as budwood from David Karp, 2005.

Parentage/origins

According to the donor, "It's an acid, lime-like fruit called 'red lime'...according to Richard Wilson of Excalibur Nursery, it is a cross between kumquat and Rangpur."

Rootstocks of accession

Yuma Ponderosa lemon

Season of ripeness at Riverside

January to March

Notes and observations

Tastes like a Rangpur lime and kumquat cross. According to the donor, "It's an acid, lime-like fruit called "red lime…according to Richard Wilson of Excalibur Nursery, it is a cross between kumquat and Rangpur."

According to the donor, "I came across this fruit at Excalibur Rare Fruit Tree Nursery in Lake Worth, Fla (owners Richard and Lynda Wilson). It’s an acid, lime-like fruit called “red lime.” Excalibur sells it as a dooryard fruit, and it is very much appreciated by local chefs. They skin is thin and edible. One site says on the Web that there is kumquat in its heritage. I have included some leaves. Please take a look and tell me what you think. At one point, according to Richard Wilson, there was an official budwood tree of red lime in Florida, but no longer. I think it might be of interest in the California specialty citrus trade."

According to Richard Wildon of Excalibur Rare Fruit Tree Nursery, "I believe that this red lime is a cross between kumquat and Rangpur. Someone in Fort Pierce is doing genetic analyses. I propagated 500-600 trees, kept most of them, of red lime, most are used at the Sundy House in Delrey Beach. They make a special sorbet, and red lime martini; restaurants call and want to be included; I send some to Taos, N.M. We have 80 acres of rare fruits I grow near West Palm Beach [2/05: no more, alas--they’ve been sold]. We have a nursery in Delrey, and what they can’t use we bring up to my house and sell it. I’ve sold a few trees of red lime to friends. We do no mail order of trees and fruits. The red lime was an accidental cross. Color of flesh is dark, peel gets as dark red as a Honeybell tangelo. It’s a productive tree, everbearing.