About

A large, fairly quick-growing dome-shaped deciduous tree with brown-grey bark and broad, toothed yellow-green foliage, turning bright yellow in autumn. perfumed, pale yellow flowers in pendent clusters appear in early to midsummer. Pollarding highlights the golden-yellow young shoots for winter colour.

About the genus

Tilia are deciduous trees with broadly ovate or heart-shaped leaves and pendulous clusters of fragrant yellow-green flowers, followed by conspicuous winged fruits

Growing conditions

SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAlkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectEast-facing, South-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6

Plant details

Plant typeTrees
HabitSpreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
HeightHigher than 12 metres
Spreadwider than 8 metres
Time to full height20-50 years
Suggested usesArchitectural, Wildlife gardens
FragranceFlower

Care notes

CultivationSuitable for parks and very large gardens. Grow in moist but well-drained soil in full sun or part shade, with shelter from cold winds. May produce thickets of stems (suckers) at the base of the trunk. For more advice see tree cultivation
PruningPruning group 1; a suitable tree for coppicing, pleaching and pollarding; remove suckers at the base of the trunk
PropagationPropagate by chip budding although care must be taken with the choice of rootstock or propagate by suckers in winter
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, horse chestnut scale, caterpillars, sawflies and gall mites
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to sooty mould, phytophthora root rot and honey fungus