red or pink finger like or desert lime

[thingswortheating]

Where does everyone in the US get red or pink finger limes or desert limes?

[hammer524]

I saw that logees sells red champagne finger limes but unfortunately we live in the states they don’t ship to

[brian]

I recall at least one person mentioned that the "red" fingerlime available in US is more like brown and not very good tasting.  I ordered a grafted one years ago but the scion died and so now I have the fruiting rootstock green type.  It seems the interesting types are not available in US at all.  Maybe one day we can get some scion from Australia.

There is also the "blood lime" but I don't know much about it, Logees now sells it for a premium I understand but some forum members might have scion.

[hammer524]

I would trust Logees if I were to buy one. Few years back I bought and killed a rooted Aussie Blood Lime cutting from a TFF member (I would have to go back and look). So a few people have a few of those floating around.

[Bobooshki]

Is it the actual “red champagne” from Australia? They have a commercial variety they grow under that name that is meant to be quite good.

[hammer524]

https://www.logees.com/red-finger-lime-tree-red-champagne.html


Appears so. I really want to buy one but ag laws . If anyone is reading this post 2 or 3 years from now, let me buy some cuttings from you please.

[Bobooshki]

I’m just surprised they got their hands on one of the Australian commercial varieties. It does appear to be what they are growing in Australia.

[nofspeppers]

Madison Citrus has Green, Red, and giant green varieties as well as scions. I have two finger lime trees from them and they were pretty big when they shipped them (3g). Definitely recommend them if you're looking for citrus trees

[franklazar26]

Is it the actual “red champagne” from Australia? They have a commercial variety they grow under that name that is meant to be quite good.

The “blood” they have is aka “red centre”. A cross I am told of finger and calamonsi. I have a few and have had fruit off of them. Certainly unique, but not worth their $100 price tag. I purchased two long ago when they sold for $45. They root decently well, but are very thin and rather hard to graft. Have an almost weeping habit. A little more zing than your average finger lime (although IMO finger limes aren’t very good in general)

This finger IMO that they’re listing now resembles Rick Red more than champagne, but wouldn’t ever really know for sure. The one I really desire is Crimson Tide.

I was able to source desert a while back from a friend but the graft eventually failed. However, being close with hershell has its perks. He claims he will have a few exotics available this summer at Madison. One being the Desert. So keep watch there!

[Bobooshki]

Crimson tide looks amazing. I wouldn’t hate having a few of the Australian varieties here to grow.

[1rainman]

Florida made their own hybrids to create something similar to the Australian red lime. It’s a finger lime crossed with something else. It’s sold out though. I was interested in it because it’s disease resistant. There’s two of them sunlime and another one.

https://www.briteleaf.com/product/uf-sunlime/

[1rainman]

It’s two different types of Australian limes bred together I was hoping they would cross it with an orange or something to get better fruit. Someone needs to get to work doing crosses. There is a thread about them on the forum. Not very interesting fruit other than being different but the high disease resistance and hardiness of the plant makes it worth growing and crossing with.

[Coconut Cream]

Florida made their own hybrids to create something similar to the Australian red lime. It’s a finger lime crossed with something else. It’s sold out though. I was interested in it because it’s disease resistant. There’s two of them sunlime and another one.

https://www.briteleaf.com/product/uf-sunlime/

Xain's World still has some, at least he did the last time I was there.

[Pandan]

Madison citrus has the largest selection of whats availlablle (multiple finger limes and other australian citrus sp.)

red lime tasted awful to me, like pinesol similar to sweet lime.

As of now Australia's vibrant beautiful cultivars just aren't available stateside. Down under has vibrant crimson red, bright green and even yellow finger limes for sale - It's odd no big citrus repository has taken interest in as I don't think they're patented. Perhaps some industrious person could breed some or someone with the permits and certificates could laboriously import seeds but until then US stock of australian citrus is pretty undiverse.

[1rainman]

I think the Meyer lemon would be a good cross as it’s hlb tolerant and fairly cold tolerant too with excellent semi sweet fruit. I think there is supposed to such a hybrid in Australia. Then maybe cross it with sugar bell which is also hlb tolerant. 1/4 finger lime 1/4 sugar bell half Meyer lemon would be an interesting sweet lemon/lime with good disease resistance and cold tolerance.

[bussone]

Madison citrus has the largest selection of whats availlablle (multiple finger limes and other australian citrus sp.)

red lime tasted awful to me, like pinesol similar to sweet lime.

As of now Australia's vibrant beautiful cultivars just aren't available stateside. Down under has vibrant crimson red, bright green and even yellow finger limes for sale - It's odd no big citrus repository has taken interest in as I don't think they're patented. Perhaps some industrious person could breed some or someone with the permits and certificates could laboriously import seeds but until then US stock of australian citrus is pretty undiverse.

I think the trouble is that the quarantine states (CA, AZ, TX, FL) are focused on juice crops, and well... Australian citrus are almost completely useless for that. So you can sometimes find them in the hobby/ornamental states, but not the commercial ag states, and it's hard to pass stuff in and out of the quarantine.