Author Topic: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)  (Read 7145 times)

Millet

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4798
    • Colorado
    • View Profile
Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« on: August 06, 2014, 10:32:20 PM »
Below is a link to a picture of a somewhat new hybrid finger lime. Looks very interesting.

http://www.citrustogrow.com.au/product/rainforest-pearl-finger-lime-citrus-gems/

Millet

Tropheus76

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 923
    • East Orlando 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2014, 07:50:57 AM »
Interesting as I found the full sun part misleading. The nursery here told me very clearly, do not put it in full sun like you can other citrus, they are understory only and like the shade.

At first I thought they were selling it as candy, weird advertisement.

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3356
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2014, 11:26:52 AM »
Looks cool.  I have a 1yr unnamed finger lime from FourWinds that hasn't bloomed yet.  I saw a forum member here talking about them earlier this spring and thought it looked interesting.   I hope this variety tastes good.  The only information that FourWinds was able to provide is that the fruit is green inside and out.   If this works out I want try out different types of finger limes as I heard they vary in flavor.

Mine is growing rapidly.  It is sitting under a few larger citrus in pots but still gets some direct sunlight including during the hot late afternoon sun.  It seems to be doing fine.   I'm in Pennsylvania so the sun may be less intense than more common citrus regions.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2014, 11:33:15 AM by brian »

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #3 on: August 07, 2014, 04:35:34 PM »


Millet, this isn't a new hybrid. This is probably the oldest. Rainforest pearl, which is universally regarded as the worst cultivar currently available in Australia along with Judy's everbearing has very oily skin which ruins the flavor of  the caviar when cut.

These are mass produced and sold in large scale retail hardware stores and nurseries. A very poor quality finger lime that should NOT be imported if you're planning on importing one.

That picture is also deceiving. In reality, RP is khaki skinned with maroon tinges, and the caviar is light pink, not red as the picture describes.

Please see my thread :

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=11589.0

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3356
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2014, 04:51:01 PM »
Starling, which varieties do you recommend?  And do you have any opinion on the variety that FourWinds is selling?  Again, the only description they gave me was "green skin, green vesicles" so this may not be enough information.

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2014, 04:58:35 PM »
Starling, which varieties do you recommend?  And do you have any opinion on the variety that FourWinds is selling?  Again, the only description they gave me was "green skin, green vesicles" so this may not be enough information.

If it is green skinned and green fleshed, it's either a totally wild type (this is how they appear as uncultivated types) or it is Astonville, which is also sold as 'tasty green'. This is mediocre; it's ok, but nothing special and isn't really good for fresh eating out of hand. Better than rainforest pearl, but shower cleaner is better than rainforest pearl.

It depends what you're after, but Rick's red is regarded as one of the best, as are all of the red types. Red champagne is very good. Sunshine yellow is very good and is probably the heaviest producer after collette. I have byron sunrise but have never tried the fruit, so I cannot comment on how good it is, but it is quite hyped.

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3356
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #6 on: August 07, 2014, 05:09:50 PM »
Thank you, I will have to search for a source for in the US.  I am mainly looking for fresh eating varieties and I don't mind tartness.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2014, 05:12:09 PM by brian »

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #7 on: August 07, 2014, 05:29:59 PM »
People are catching on to varieties here and I see at the hardware supermarket the trashy old Rainforest Pearl is not shifting much even at $12 a tree. By contrast Red Champagne gets sold out fast even a higher price.

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #8 on: August 07, 2014, 05:33:46 PM »
People are catching on to varieties here and I see at the hardware supermarket the trashy old Rainforest Pearl is not shifting much even at $12 a tree. By contrast Red Champagne gets sold out fast even a higher price.

Mike if you come across any red champagne/chartreuse etc, grab them for me and I'll paypal you. They sell out pretty much instantly at all the bunnings down here, and are hard to get.

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #9 on: August 07, 2014, 05:57:01 PM »
Starling this was in Master's between 6 months ago and 1 month ago when I last visited and talked to their nursery person.I think it is thye same here but I will check and be poised ready to jump.I got the champagne cheap but since then people seem to be waiting for them.

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #10 on: August 07, 2014, 06:04:18 PM »
Starling this was in Master's between 6 months ago and 1 month ago when I last visited and talked to their nursery person.I think it is thye same here but I will check and be poised ready to jump.I got the champagne cheap but since then people seem to be waiting for them.

Yeah, I remember you got them at 6 bucks thereabouts, which is crazy cheap.

I managed to get myself blacklisted by aussiefngerlimesinternational which is where I'd normally get them. He sells soursop leaves, and I linked him a nueropsych paper about how concentrated annonaicin causes nueral death, After that when I tried to buy his trees from ebay I got a message: ''The seller is not accepting bids from you at this time'. ???

Que sera, sera.......

BMc

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1740
  • Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2014, 02:43:23 AM »
Rainforest Pearl will indeed grow extremely well in full sun, in the hottest part of your yard and fruit more prolifically than you could ever imagine. But it is the worst finger lime you could hope to find in the wild. No idea how it got selected and distributed. I heard the selection was made at Byron Bay, so there were probably special cookies on the breakfast menu that morning.  More recent introductions are better. I've got about 10 varieties at the minute. Ricks Red is still my pick, followed by the Red Champagne. I'm looking to scale back to 2-3 varieties soon, taking taste and cropping cycles into account for near year-round production.

Rannman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 293
  • Dragonfruit collector
    • Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2014, 06:04:51 AM »
People are catching on to varieties here and I see at the hardware supermarket the trashy old Rainforest Pearl is not shifting much even at $12 a tree. By contrast Red Champagne gets sold out fast even a higher price.

Mike if you come across any red champagne/chartreuse etc, grab them for me and I'll paypal you. They sell out pretty much instantly at all the bunnings down here, and are hard to get.
Hi Mike and Starling1. Off the top of your heads, what would be the top 4 fingerprints varieties I should look for in relation to flavour for growing around the Lockyer Valley. Thanks, Anthony.

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2014, 06:28:43 AM »
People are catching on to varieties here and I see at the hardware supermarket the trashy old Rainforest Pearl is not shifting much even at $12 a tree. By contrast Red Champagne gets sold out fast even a higher price.

Mike if you come across any red champagne/chartreuse etc, grab them for me and I'll paypal you. They sell out pretty much instantly at all the bunnings down here, and are hard to get.
Hi Mike and Starling1. Off the top of your heads, what would be the top 4 fingerprints varieties I should look for in relation to flavour for growing around the Lockyer Valley. Thanks, Anthony.

Crimson tide, ricks red, red champagne, sunshine yellow.

Rannman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 293
  • Dragonfruit collector
    • Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2014, 06:34:52 AM »
Thanks Starling. I thought the 4 fingerprints stuff up might have thrown you off. Do those varieties do well in the ground or better in containers?

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2014, 06:58:40 AM »
Thanks Starling. I thought the 4 fingerprints stuff up might have thrown you off. Do those varieties do well in the ground or better in containers?

In my experience, they all grow better in pots. But you have to make sure the mix is totally free draining. In cooler areas they do better in the ground because they're all grafted onto tri. I have a thread about what they like and how to grow them here which covers the main things:

http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=10228.msg131120#msg131120



« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 07:05:32 AM by starling1 »

Rannman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 293
  • Dragonfruit collector
    • Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #16 on: August 08, 2014, 07:35:23 AM »
Thanks Starling, I'll check it out.

Tropheus76

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 923
    • East Orlando 9B
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2014, 08:37:21 AM »
In the US, Harris Citrus has them or did, the Red Finger limes that is. You might have to ask since it wasn't on the list when I showed up. I just saw their prices and since I was way under budget I asked what kind of rare and exotic trees did they have. Red Fingerlime was mentioned as she said at the time they had the only ones approved by FL for release. Mine has doubled in size since October. I planted it in ground in a place where a FL plum wasn't getting enough light and it seems to like this. Harris does ship, but obviously their pick up prices are far better.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 12:51:58 PM by Tropheus76 »

Millet

  • Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4798
    • Colorado
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2014, 09:18:14 AM »
Starling1, thank so much for your information on Rainforest Pearl.  You have helped out our board. - Millet

markt

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • USA, AZ
    • View Profile
Re: Rain Forest Pearl (Hybrid Finger Lime)
« Reply #19 on: August 25, 2014, 11:00:54 PM »
I didn't realize there was so much variation in what appears to be a typical Finger lime. Any idea what variety and quality the CCPC offers? It's just one selection available, Australian Finger Lime. I've got two small trees I grafted. I hope these are a good selection.