# Small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata)

> A stately tree of more than 20 m with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant yellow-green July flowers that hum with bees. Small-leaved lime is an indicator of ancient woodland in England and is long-lived, coppicing and pollarding well. Compact cultivars are among the most planted street and avenue trees in Britain and northern Europe.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/tilia-cordata · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Small-leaved linden, Littleleaf linden
- Family: Malvaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, loses its leaves in winter
- Mature height: 25 m; spread 15 m
- Growth: Medium growth; lives about 500 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 7
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Moist but well-drained, nutrient-rich soils; tolerates clay and urban conditions
- Native range: Native across Europe from England and Spain to Scandinavia, Russia and western Siberia, south to Italy, the Balkans and the Caucasus.

**Benefits:** Pollinators, Shade, Wildlife, Long lived, Fall color

**Good for:** Street tree, parks, Yard shade, Hedgerow, Timber

**Watch out for:** Heavy litter

## Care

Plant bare-root in winter and water through the first two summers. Prune or pollard in winter; it tolerates hard cutting. Aphid honeydew drips onto cars beneath; nail gall mites disfigure leaves harmlessly. Occasional root rot, bleeding canker or wilt can be fatal.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Germany; France; ENG, United Kingdom (Native mainly in England and Wales; an ancient woodland indicator); WLS, United Kingdom; Poland
- **Adapted:** Canada (Widely planted in southern Canadian cities; USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in Canada.); Ireland (Not native to Ireland; widely planted); United States (Introduced; a common street tree in the Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, zones 3 to 7. USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced.)
- **Recommended:** Toronto, ON, Canada ('Glenleven' littleleaf linden is on Toronto's list of species planted on streets (now usually classed as Tilia × flavescens).); Sacramento, CA, United States (On the Sacramento Tree Foundation Shady 80 recommended trees list); Denver, CO, United States (On the Denver Office of the City Forester Approved Street Tree List); Boston, MA, United States (On the City of Boston Urban Forestry Division recommended public street trees list); New York, NY, United States (On the NYC Parks Street Tree Planting Approved Species List); Portland, OR, United States ('Greenspire' littleleaf linden is on Portland's list for 6.0 to 8.4 ft planting strips.)

## Sources

- https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/small-leaved-lime/
- https://www.gbif.org/species/3152047
- https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287364
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tilia-cordata/