Kaffir Lime Plants

[Hadrian1]

I've got a friend visiting Thailand. I would like him to pick up a couple of Kaffir Lime plants for me so that I'll have a supply of leaves for my Thai Cooking. Where would one find Kaffir Lime Plants for sale in Thailand and how much would the cost? Thank you.

[Gippy]

The best place for a visitor to buy plants, assuming they are visiting Bangkok would be Chatuchak Market. They have plants at the weekend and a huge plant market on Wednesdays. I don't know the cost but I wouldn't think it would be any more than a couple of hundred baht.

What is your home country? Most countries are not too happy with people bringing live plants back in their suitcase and your friend could get into a spot of bother at the airport. Are you sure you can't find a plant or even some seeds back home?

[Hadrian1]

I live in the UK. I did get some seeds before but I wasn't successfull in getting them to germinate. Plants can be quite expensive here.

[Gippy]

Found this on the www.food.gov.uk website:

Certain fruit and vegetables and plant products are prohibited from entering the UK from countries outside the EU, or they may require a phytosanitary certificate. For example Kaffir lime leaves are not allowed to be imported to the UK. Fresh cut parts (foliage, bark etc., but not fruit) of any Citrus species are prohibited from all countries outside the EU as they carry plant diseases. This prohibition covers fresh cut parts only and does not apply to dried leaves and other dried cut parts. Nor does it apply to freeze-dried, cooked or frozen leaves or other cut parts. Many nurseries in the UK now supply fresh Kaffir lime leaves and other fresh cut citrus parts.

[Hadrian1]

Guppy,

Thanks for your help. But I know they are being sent to the UK from a seller in Malaysia via ebay and not sure about other places too. My mate might even send it via post to me. The question is....where does one buy in Thailand? I don't want to bring in any drugs or whatever....just a humble Kaffir Lime seedling a few inches in height and not be fleeced for it.

[Gippy]

Guppy,

The question is....where does one buy in Thailand?

I gave you an idea in post #2, good luck.

[Hadrian1]

Guppy,

The question is....where does one buy in Thailand?

I gave you an idea in post #2, good luck.

Yes cheers. Do they have such a concept as 'Garden Centres' or something similar in Thailand?

[xen]

Hi Hadrian,

Your mate could pick up Kaffir Limes in most nurseries/garden centres, or as Gippy sugested in Chuttachuk Markets , but it will be a problem taking it back into the UK without declaring it and have it quarantined. Plant and soil hygiene in most Thai plant nurseries is not the same as what is practised in the West and you could be introducing diseases such as citus canker into the country that could cause immense damage to the fruit industry in the UK .

[NADTATIDA1]

You can buy them at the Chinese supermarkets in the Uk...wing yip being one,do you have a chinatown near? there shops tend to stock kaffir.

Just a thought.

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm tempted to close & remove this thread on the basis of discussing illegal activity, but will leave it in the hopes that OP will read the helpful posts giving him other options and reminding him that there may actually be a good reason not to try to import unregulated citrus from Thailand into the UK. 'Getting fleeced,' as OP puts it, may actually represent the costs of keeping the UK citrus industry safe through careful checking of the plants which *are* officially imported. Bringing in unregulated plants illegally could, as another poster mentions, do serious damage to the UK citrus industry- ironically justifying the procedure and higher costs, and driving them up even further.

[Hadrian1]

There is not an 'UK Citrus Industry' as far as I know. Anyway, I've decided not to do this and will buy from a UK nursery. Thanks for the replies.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Hadrian1

[Gippy]

There is not an 'UK Citrus Industry' as far as I know. Anyway, I've decided not to do this and will buy from a UK nursery. Thanks for the replies.

Maybe it was wiped out by the dreaded kaffir lime leaf lurgi?

Good decision in the end I think. If I was your friend I wouldn't be happy after getting caught smuggling plants into the country, they might start looking where only doctors and customs men are allowed to go, ouch

[Hadrian1]

There is not an 'UK Citrus Industry' as far as I know. Anyway, I've decided not to do this and will buy from a UK nursery. Thanks for the replies.

Maybe it was wiped out by the dreaded kaffir lime leaf lurgi?

Good decision in the end I think. If I was your friend I wouldn't be happy after getting caught smuggling plants into the country, they might start looking where only doctors and customs men are allowed to go, ouch

Many varieties can't survive watter-logged conditions including the kaffir Lime and few varieties can survive sub zero temps. One of these is the Japanese Bitter Orange which I've already got. It's often used as a root-stock which I might try grafting a Kaffir onto. The Japanese Bitter Orange (or as otherwise known Poncirus Trifoliata) can withstand sub-zero temps. Unfortunately, it's fruit are too bitter to eat.

[limeleaves]

I think the best bet it to search for it online first. If it is not available in your area; then start looking outside of your areas.