🌸 Limonia Plant (Pink)
🌿 Description:
The Limonia Plant (Pink), also known as Wood Apple, Kaitha, or Monkey Fruit, is a rare and attractive variety of the traditional Limonia acidissima tree. It is loved for its pink-tinted young foliage, graceful branching habit, and mildly fragrant blossoms that appear seasonally. This tropical plant belongs to the Rutaceae (Citrus) family and thrives beautifully in warm climates.
Unlike the regular wood apple, the pink form is often used as a decorative garden tree because of its charming pink hues on new growth and foliage. Over time, it forms a dense canopy and can bear fruit that is rich in aroma and nutrients, traditionally used in Ayurvedic tonics and cooling summer drinks.
🌞 Plant Features:
New leaves emerge with a soft pink flush, maturing into bright green.
Produces small white or pinkish flowers that attract bees and butterflies.
Fruits are round, with a hard shell and aromatic, brown pulp inside.
Highly drought-tolerant and adaptable to poor soil conditions.
Suitable for bonsai training or ornamental pot culture.
Lifespan of 40+ years when grown in the ground.
🌱 Plant Care Guide:
Light:
Prefers full sunlight for best growth, color, and flowering.
Watering:
Water moderately — keep soil slightly moist, but avoid waterlogging. Reduce watering in winter.
Soil:
Well-drained, sandy loam or garden soil mixed with organic manure.
Fertilizer:
Use organic compost or vermicompost monthly during the growing season (March–September).
Temperature:
Ideal range 20°C–38°C. Protect from severe frost.
Pruning:
Trim dry or unwanted branches annually to maintain a bushy, compact shape.
🌺 Benefits & Uses:
Medicinal Value: Fruit pulp used in Ayurveda for digestion, liver health, and cooling.
Aesthetic Appeal: Pink foliage gives an ornamental look to gardens and landscapes.
Eco-friendly: Attracts pollinators and provides natural shade.
Fruiting: Mature trees bear edible fruits with tangy-sweet pulp used in traditional drinks.
🏡 Ideal Placement:
Outdoor gardens, terraces, or large pots (12–18 inch pot)
Farmhouses and ornamental landscapes
Near entrances or driveways for a tropical, colorful accent