History & Lore

Like other citrus fruits, limes are believed to be native to southeastern Asia and have been cultivated for thousands of years. When Columbus made his second voyage to the Western Hemisphere in 1493 to establish a colony, he stopped at the Canary Islands and obtained seeds of various fruits and vegetables, including limes to take with him. He planted the limes on the island of Hispaniola, in his settlement of Isabella. Later, Spanish conquistadores took limes from these groves with them to the mainland and planted them at St. Augustine, Florida.