Tilia cordata - Small Leaved Lime

One of our most beautiful trees, with an impressive shape, strongly scented flowers and elegant foliage. A British native, the Small Leaved Lime was the predominant tree in English woodlands until the Saxon period, when other trees became more dominant. A much better tree than the more commonly planted non-native Tilia x europaea. Its shape is reminiscent of the English Elm, and it is now more often planted to replace trees lost to Dutch Elm disease.

Site and soil

Any well-drained fertile soil in sun or shade. Especially good on chalky soils and in towns. Avoid exposed windy sites.

Height and spread

Below are the approximate stages of growth, assuming sited in suitable conditions for this species;

After 10 years: 6m x 4m
After 20 years: 12m x 6m

Leaf and bark

The leaves are heart-shaped and smaller than other limes at 8cm long. They are dark green above, blue-green beneath with distinctive tufts of brown hairs in the leaf axils. They turn yellow in autumn. The bark is smooth and grey, developing cracks and flakes as the tree ages.

Flower, seed and fruit

The pale yellow sweetly scented flowers are borne in small clusters in midsummer at the end of a slender stalk. They are followed by the small (1.2cm) elliptic, downy fruits.

Uses

Woodland, parks, gardens, avenues, street-side planting, pleached hedges. The very light wood is valued for carving, because it is so easy to work; most of the Grinling Gibbons carvings in St Paul’s Cathedral, Windsor Castle and Chatsworth are in lime wood. The bark has been used to make matting, baskets and fishing nets. The flowers are employed medicinally, and are perhaps best known for making the sedative Lime-flower Tea, also known as Linden Tea.

Wildlife

Bees are attracted to the strongly scented flowers and Lime-flower honey is said to have the best flavour of any. A range of other insects are also to be found on the tree.