How To Care For And Grow Your White Lime
Native to: China and the Philippines
Watering needs: Frequent — keep soil moist
Lighting needs: Low light-tolerant but prefers lots of bright indirect light
Difficulty: Low maintenance
Great for: Beginners, offices
Pet-Safe: No
2.0 Picking The Right Spot (Lighting, Air Conditioning, Temperature)
3.0 Caring For Your White Lime (Watering, Dusting, Re-potting)
1.0 Choosing your White Lime
Look at the leaves.
Watch Out For:
Yellow Leaves
This means that the White Lime hasn’t received the right care and is stressed.
Droopy Leaves
Could be a short-term overwatering issue, or root rot if it’s been continuously overwatered.
2.0 Picking The Right Spot (Lighting, Air Conditioning, Temperature)
Half of plant parenthood is choosing the perfect spot.
Lighting
White Limes can tolerate low light, but the more bright indirect light it gets, the more defined its white borders and the darker its green foliage.
However, as with all plants, be careful with direct sunlight (especially near untinted windows), as too much will cause the water in your plant's leaves to evaporate, causing its leaves to curl or burn. This risk of scorching is higher if your plant gets direct sunlight during the middle of the day, when the day is hottest. Either way, keep an eye open for brown scorch marks on your leaves and, if you spot any, move it a few feet further away from your window.
In general, try to avoid more than 1-2 hours of direct sunlight a day.
Pro tip: White Limes are highly tolerant to lower light levels (though they will grow more slowly and with less foliage the less light they get). To successfully acclimate your White Lime in a low-light area, start by placing it by a window when you bring it to your home. Then, over the course of 4-5 weeks, as your plant acclimates to your space, you can slowly move it towards the spot with less light.
Air Conditioning
White Limes tolerate dry AC air better than most other plants. However, they will be happiest placed away from the direct air escaping your AC vents.
Temperature
Like most houseplants, White Limes are happiest between 18°C – 27°C. As a general rule: if you're comfortable, then your White Lime probably is too.
3.0 Caring For Your White Lime (Watering, Dusting, Re-potting)
How to keep your plant alive (and also show your love).
Watering
Maintain moist soil
To check if a White Lime is ready for watering, stick your finger ~2 inches into the soil to feel for the moisture. If the soil feels completely dry, you can water your plant again. As with any plant, always make sure to throw any excess water away. Water should never be sitting at the bottom of the pot.
The more light your plant gets, the more you'll need to water it. Similarly, the less light it gets, the less it will need.
Dusting
Once a month, gently wipe away any dust on your plant.
Wiping your White Lime free of dust with a damp rag once a month will help it soak in light and breathe through the little pores on its leaves (stomata).
Re-potting
Leave it in its nursery pot
White Limes like being slightly root-bound, as such, you won’t need to worry about re-potting until it begins for at least 2-3 years.
Time to re-pot
When re-potting, use a high-quality potting mix and transfer your White Lime into a pot that's about 1–2 inches in diameter larger than its current one (or one or two sizes up).
Whatever you do, avoid a bag of pure peat moss. This is what you’ll get in most bags that say “potting soil” or “gardening soil”. When in doubt, reach out to our team at hello@plntd.ae, and we’ll help you identify whether the soil bag you’re considering will work for your White Lime.
Remember, always go for a pot with drainage holes.
Pro-tip: To keep watering simple and easy, you can simply re-pot your White Lime into a larger nursery pot and place that nursery pot in a larger planter.
4.0 Beginner questions
Ask away, grasshopper.
How easy is a White Lime to care for?
White Limes are straightforward plants and can adapt to most lighting conditions.
Here are some guidelines to bear in mind when caring for and deciding where to place your White Lime:
- They're highly tolerant of nearly all light levels and will be able to acclimate to anything from bright indirect sunlight by a window (as long as it's indoors) to low-light. With more light comes faster growth, more defined white borders, and a greater need for water.
- They should be watered when the top 2 inches feel dry to the touch.
- The greatest risk to White Limes is overwatering; as long as there is a window in the room, and its drinks are infrequent, this plant will be a companion for years to come.
Like most indoor plants, White Limes are sensitive when it comes to the chlorine and calcium found in UAE tap water. To combat this, make sure to:
- Leave tap water out for 24-48 hrs before using it. This will allow the chlorine time to evaporate.
When watering, make sure to water all the way through the soil until water is dripping out the bottom of the nursery pot. This will ensure any excess build of calcium (and other minerals) is flushed out from the soil.
Can I use UAE tap water to water my White Lime?
Yes. White Limes can be fed using UAE tap water.
However, like most indoor plants, they are sensitive to the chlorine and calcium found in the water.
To combat this, make sure to:
- Leave tap water out for 24-48 hrs before using it. This will allow the chlorine time to evaporate.
- When watering your White Lime, make sure to water through the soil until it is dripping out the bottom of the nursery pot. This flushes out any excess build-up of calcium (and other minerals) from the soil.
Finally, look out for tell-tale signs of too much chlorine or calcium:
- Scorched brown tips at the leaves = too much chlorine.
- White crystals on the soil = too much calcium.
It is important to note, however, that Chinese Evergreens DO NOT like cold water. Whenever watering yours, make sure to use room temperature (or slightly warm) water.
Will AC harm my White Lime? What temperature should I set it to?
White Limes are subtropical rainforest plants that thrive in wet, humid climates.
ACs achieve the opposite results: they make the temperature colder, and the air dryer.
If you start to notice brown spots forming on the tips of your leaves, then it may be that the environment around your White Lime is too dry.
Here are some steps you can take when deciding where to place your White Lime in a room and managing your ACs airflow:
- The ideal temperature for White Limes, as with most indoor plants, is between 18°C - 22°C at night, and 22°C - 27°C during the day. Though it CAN tolerate lower temperatures, you'll need to REDUCE your watering drastically, as the risk of overwatering increases the lower the temperature is.
- Whenever possible, place your White Lime as far away from the AC vent as possible.
- To combat the drying effect of the AC, you can mist your White Lime with water and a mister to replicate its native climate, as closely as possible. For this to be effective, you'd need to mist your plant at least once a day .
- Alternatively, and best of all, you can also use a small humidifier to keep the air around your plant constantly more humid.
Do I have to re-pot my White Lime as soon as I receive it?
In short, no.
Once you receive your plant, place it in the spot you plan to keep it in (whilst still in its nursing pot) and allow it at least 6 months (ideally 12) to acclimate to your home's temperature and light levels.
Once acclimated, you can choose to either repot your plant or leave it in its nursing pot.
5.0 Some Common Problems
Don't let this list scare you — trust us, White Limes are easy to care for.
Droopy Leaves
Cause 1: Watering issue
Suggestion: Both overwatering and underwatering can lead to soft mushy leaves for different reasons. Examine your plant and adjust your watering frequency (not amount) as needed.
Cause 2: Low humidity
Suggestion: If your plant is next to an AC vent, try moving it away. Use the pebble-tray method to increase humidity around your plant.
Cause 3: Root rot if the original overwatering issue wasn’t dealt with
Suggestion: Re-pot your plant.
Cause 4: Pests
Suggestion: There are a few methods for getting rid of pests. Showering your plant everyday for 4-6 weeks and/or a neem oil soak are recommended. If the situation is out of control, then use insecticidal soap or pesticides as a last resort.
Yellow Leaves
Cause 1: Watering issue
Suggestion: Both overwatering and underwatering can lead to soft mushy leaves for different reasons. Examine your plant and adjust your watering frequency (not amount) as needed. Check if inappropriate soil contributed to your plant’s watering issue.
Cause 2: Low humidity
Suggestion: If your plant is next to an AC vent, try moving it away. Use the pebble-tray method to increase humidity around your plant.
Cause 3: Not enough sunlight
Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with more sunlight, but not outdoors or under direct sunlight.
Cause 4: Pests
Suggestion: There are a few methods for getting rid of pests. Showering your plant everyday for 4-6 weeks and/or a neem oil soak are recommended. If the situation is out of control, then use insecticidal soap or pesticides as a last resort.
Falling Leaves
Cause 1: Overwatering
Suggestion: Allow soil time to dry out completely, then slowly re-water. Adjust your schedule to reduce the frequency (not amount) of water.
Cause 2: Not enough sunlight
Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with more sunlight, but not outdoors or under direct sunlight.
Cause 3: Temperature issue
Suggestion: White Limes are happiest between 18 °C and 27 °C. Try moving your plant to a cooler or warmer location as appropriate.
Mushy Leaves
Cause: Watering issue
Suggestion: Both overwatering and underwatering can lead to soft mushy leaves for different reasons. Examine your plant and adjust your watering frequency (not amount) as needed. Check if inappropriate soil contributed to your plant’s watering issue.
Black/Brown Spots
Cause 1: Brown spots that look like burn marks = Too much or too much direct sunlight
Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with less direct sunlight
Cause 2: Irregular + Fast spreading spots = Fungus
Suggestion: Isolate your plant, snip away the infected leaves, re-pot your plant, and reduce moisture around your plant in the future. Use a fungicide as a last resort.
Cause 3: Regular or uniform spots = Nutrient deficiencies
Suggestion: Consider getting fertilizer that’s specific to your plant’s needs.
Browning on Leaf Edges or Tips
Cause 1: Too much chlorine or fluorine in the water
Suggestion: Let water aerate for 48 hours before giving it to your plant, or use bottled water or rainwater instead
Cause 2: Underwatering
Suggestion:Time for a drink! Maintain the same amount of water but increase how often you're watering
Curling Leaves
Cause: Too much sunlight
Suggestion: Move your plant to a place with less direct sunlight.
6.0 Buying White Limes Online
When shopping for a plant online, look out for the following:
Height
If you're looking for a table-top plant, then go for one that's 40cm tall. A 60cm tall plant would work well on a low side-table. Plants about 1 meter or taller would work well as statement floor plants.
Note: Stated heights will always include the height of the plant AND planter.
Pot style
This is all about the vibe you're looking for, and you'll typically have a choice amongst different colors and shapes.
If you're looking for subtlety, we suggest a circular pot in white. To make more of a statement, look for contrasting shapes and colors!
Delivery
It goes without saying that your plant supplier should meticulously package all plants.
When you personally buy a plant from a store, you're able to rush it home, ensuring it stays outside for as little time as possible. But when you order online, your plant will ride-share with a lot of other plants all on their way to their new homes.
Depending on where you live, weather can play a big part in your plant's health along the way.
If possible, ask your plant shop what precautions they take to ensure your plants stay as safe as possible en route to you.
Reviews
Reading customer reviews is a good way to get an idea of the customer experience provided by the seller (here's ours, by the way), but you need to practice caution there.
Don't expect to be able to tell a fake review right away, some reviewers can be great con artists, and some negative reviews can be fake to harm the seller.
Your best bet is to zoom out and look at multiple comments from multiple categories to get a good overview of whether you can trust this company and/or their review section.
For example, look at how recent the reviews are, and how spread apart. Was there a sudden spike of comments in a short amount of time? Do they sound like they're all written by someone rehashing the same template? Do they all sound too positive to be real?
Yes, going all detective on reviews can be a chore, but Future You will thank you for it.
Returns and refund policies
Things can go wrong.
Sometimes it's no one's fault, and sometimes there's nothing anyone can do.
So the best practice is to offer (and honor) a no-questions asked return/refund policy. Check out the seller's policy before you make a purchase, so you know you're insured in case things don't work out.
You can check out our return/refund policy here.
Ready to adopt a White Lime?
Your White Lime can't wait to meet you — just choose a height and pot and let's introduce you two!
Don't take them for granted, though. Compared to its siblings, White Limes are known for being especially tough and easy to care for than most plants. They're perfect for offices and the homes of plant beginners.
Popular in East Asian homes, Chinese Evergreens are believed to be a symbol of fortune and wealth.
