Bengaluru: With summer here, the thornless acid lime plant is making its way into urban terrace gardens in the tech capital. Known for its larger fruit, thicker rind and, most importantly, nearly thornless stems, the lime plant that was once found mostly in agricultural fields is now being grown in pots at home gardens across the city.While vegetables such as chillies and tomatoes have long been staples of kitchen gardens, many gardeners hesitated to grow lime because of its sharp thorns. The thornless variety has changed that. These plants can be cultivated in pots or grow bags, and produce fruits throughout the year, unlike regular lime varieties which are largely seasonal. Acid lime, rich in vitamin C, is widely used in Indian kitchens, from juices to soups to pickles.“I recently bought 48 thornless acid lime plants for my agricultural land. But since these were thornless, I decided to keep two of them in my terrace garden. The stems feel smoother than regular lime plants, with no prick. I’m waiting for the plants in my terrace garden to provide fruits, but a plant in my field has done so, and the size of the fruit is really good,” said Udaya Simha, a resident of Basavanagudi. Many thornless varieties, originally grafted and developed abroad, are now available on e-commerce platforms, making them easier for urban gardeners to procure. Recently, a city-based biotechnologist developed an indigenous thornless lime plant called Amrutha Delight to cater to the growing demand.“This variety takes just 1-2 years for flower and fruit formation, unlike regular varieties, which take 3-4 years. These are dwarf, bushy plants and produce medium-sized fruits (40g to 60g). They may have very small spines of about 0.5cm, while regular varieties have thorns up to 2cm long, making pruning and harvesting easier. Each plant can yield up to 200 fruits a year, and the fruits are suitable for juicing and making pickles,” said Pious Thomas, founder and CEO of Thomas Biotech, which developed the plant.Horticulture department officials said while Kagzi and Indi lime varieties remain the most popular in Karnataka, farmers are slowly exploring nearly thornless types for ease of harvesting. (The Indi lime, grown mainly in Vijayapura, received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023 for its distinct aroma, high juice content, and balanced acidity.)“Some progressive farmers in places like Gauribidanur and parts of Koppal are growing thornless lime. Adoption is still limited as Kagzi and Indi varieties dominate cultivation. A few researchers are now working to develop thornless varieties suited for urban gardens. While these plants may not be ideal for very small apartment spaces, people living in independent houses can certainly grow them,” said PM Sobarad, additional director (fruits), horticulture department. QUOTERavi S | resident of VidyaranyapuraI mainly bought the plant variety as it offers more fruits round the year than others. For people who want to grow lime plants in their terrace gardens, this variety will be helpful during maintenance and cleaning. In the agricultural field, the thornless feature might be helpful during harvest season
