Trees🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -30°C

Small-leaved Lime

Tilia cordata

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Small-leaved Lime (Tilia cordata) is a native, deciduous and very long-lived tree of calcareous deciduous forests, slope forests, old hedgerows, coppice and stream valley forests. The tree has small, heart-shaped leaves that are dark green on top and blue-green on the underside. In the vein axils on the underside of the leaves are characteristic reddish-brown to yellowish-brown tufts of hair. The young twigs and leaf stalks are almost hairless. In June and July, Small-leaved Lime blooms with strongly scented, yellow-white to greenish-yellow flowers in upright clusters. The flowers contain plenty of nectar and pollen and are busy with insects. In September and October, small round nutlets ripen which, together with the elongated bract, are spread by the wind. Small-leaved Lime is suitable for large gardens, estates, avenues, parks, food forests and landscape planting. The tree grows best on deep, humic and moisture-retentive soil, but after establishment also tolerates heat and some drought. Prolonged stagnant water is poorly tolerated.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

A freely growing Small-leaved Lime requires little maintenance after proper structural pruning. During winter dormancy, remove dead, damaged, crossing or incorrectly placed branches. Small-leaved Lime also tolerates regular pollarding, pleaching and coppice management, but apply these management forms consistently and do not prune during severe frost.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Sun, Half shade

Soil type: Clay, Sand, Loam, Humus-rich

Moisture need: Moderately moist, Moist, Dry

pH: Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5), Neutral (6.5–7.5), Chalky (>7.5), Acidic (<5.5)

Nutrient richness: Nutrient-poor, Nutrient-rich, Moderately nutrient-rich

Humus content: Moderately humus-rich, Humus-poor, Humus-rich

Water drainage: Well draining, Moisture-retentive

Appearance & season

Mature height: 2000-3000cm

Bloom: Jun-Jul

Autumn colour: The leaves turn yellow to golden yellow in October and November before falling. The autumn color can be bright, but is usually not particularly long-lasting or pronounced.

Properties

Salt sensitive: Yes

Edible: The young, soft leaves are edible and taste mild, fresh green and slightly slimy; they can be added raw to salads. The fragrant flowers can be used fresh or dried for lime blossom tea and have a soft, sweet and honey-like taste. Use only correctly identified and clean plant material.

Scent: Floral scent: remarkably sweet, floral and honey-like. During flowering, the scent attracts large numbers of bees, bumblebees, hoverflies and other nectar seekers.

Ecological value

During flowering, Small-leaved Lime is a very valuable food source for honey bees, wild bees, bumblebees, hoverflies and other insects. The fragrant flowers provide large amounts of nectar and pollen in June and July. The leaf is food for caterpillars of, among others, the lime hawk-moth, lime gold-spot, puss moth, lime pug and various spring moths and geometrids. Aphids, beetles, gall mites and other small insects also live on the tree and form food for birds and insectivores. The nutlets can be used by birds and small mammals. Older Small-leaved Limes offer nesting, shelter and living space for birds, bats, mosses, lichens and invertebrates with their dense crown, rough bark, branches and cavities. Due to the combination of nectar, pollen, leaves, seeds and older wood, the tree supports multiple layers of the food web.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsVery useful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesUseful

🪰 HoverfliesUseful

🦋 ButterfliesUseful

🪲 Beetles & insectsUseful

🐦 BirdsExtremely useful

🐿️ MammalsExtremely useful

🐞 Other animalsUseful

During flowering, Small-leaved Lime is a rich source of nectar and pollen for honey bees, wild bees, bumblebees, hoverflies and moths. The leaf is used by various caterpillars, including those of the lime hawk-moth and several specialized lime-moths. The insects in the crown form food for birds. Old lime trees provide living space for bats, birds, beetles, mosses and fungi with their bark, cavities and dead wood.

Distribution in the Netherlands