Gallon plant of this Kaffir Lime tree. The fruit is Citrus hystrix, called the kaffir lime, makrut lime, or Mauritius papeda,[4] is a citrus fruit native to tropical Southeast Asia and southern China. Its fruit and leaves are used in Southeast Asian cuisine and its essential oil is used in perfumery. Its rind and crushed leaves emit an intense citrus fragrance. A thorny bush, 6 to 35 feet tall, with aromatic and distinctively shaped “double” leaves. These hourglass-shaped leaves comprise the leaf blade plus a flattened, leaf-like stalk or petiole. The fruit is rough and green, and ripens to yellow; it is distinguished by its bumpy exterior and its small size, approximately 2 in wide. The leaves are the most frequently used part of the plant, fresh, dried, or frozen. Hardiness 9b-11