Limaquat Lakeland

The Tavares limequat is the result of a controlled hybridization between the Mexican lime and the oval kumquat (Nagami). It is a variety developed within the improvement program carried out in Florida (USA) in 1909. The name of this selection, Tavares, refers to the city of the same name in the state of Florida. It differs from other limequats by having a higher acidity in its juice and because its flower buds exhibit a pink coloration, a trait inherited from the lime.

Small tree with an open growth habit. Large fruits, the largest among limequats, with oval or obovate morphology. Smooth bark, light yellow in full maturity and similar to that of the Mexican lime, although edible. Juicy pulp, very acidic and aromatic. It has seeds, but fewer than its sister Eustis.

Ornamental plant. The fruits are used as substitutes for lime. They can be candied whole or used to make jams, as well as consumed whole fresh.