Tilia cordata
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- TIL-ee-uh kor-DAY-tuh
- Description
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Excellent street tree in the Malvaceae family. It is a great urban tree tolerating poor soil, drought, and air pollution. It is more ideally suited for a northern climate than for the south. It is easy to transplant and tolerates heavy pruning. Its fall color is pale yellow-green and not very ornamental. Flowers are pendulous and attract bees in hoards, a detriment; linden honey very desirable; in the fruiting state, peduncle twists at base turning bract & cyme semi-upright, giving the appearance of a rider on a surfboard riding the waves.
Tilias called lime trees by British; historically, planted around shipyards where wood utilized for cabin furniture for officers, and containers in gallies, storing items such as limes and another citrus, keeping them fresher than other porous woods; French thought wood was used in ship timbers, laughed at using weaker wood, and referred to British as limes.
Seasons of Interest:
Bloom: Summer, June Fruit: Summer, August
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. Insect visitors include borers, scale, leaf miner, lace bugs, caterpillars, aphids and Japanese beetles. Spider mites can be troublesome, particularly in hot, dry periods. Verticillium wilt is infrequent but can be fatal. Powdery mildew, leaf spots, and canker may occur.
Quick ID
- Heart-shaped leaves with teeth
- Leaves asymmetrical at base, small side
- pendulous inflorescence attached to large oblong bracts
- Bract & fruits upright, as rider on surfboard
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Greenspire'
- 'Greenspire'
- 'Greenspire'
- Tags:

















- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Greenspire'
- 'Greenspire'
- 'Greenspire'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Tilia
- Species:
- cordata
- Family:
- Malvaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe and southwestern Asia
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant is a larval host plant to Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) caterpillars. You may see it during its three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights March-September in the north. The flowers attract butterflies and bees and it makes an excellent honey plant.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 35 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Pyramidal
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
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Fruit:
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Description:
- Fruit is a globose nutlet, covered with a fine pubescent that drops with age.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Inflorescence is in short pendulous cymes, peduncle fused nearly half-way with basal, large, oblong bract. Flowers are yellow, fragrant, 5-8 per cyme, borne in late June to early July.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Orbicular
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate, simple, oblique, heart-shaped to orbicular, acuminate, cordate, serrate.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Pollinators