Tilia platyphyllos - Large Leaved Lime

Our Large-Leaved Lime is a magnificent native tree, valued for its broad canopy, heart-shaped foliage and wildlife-friendly qualities. Ideal for larger gardens, estates, parks and avenue planting, it develops into an impressive specimen that provides shade, structure and seasonal interest.

Tilia platyphyllos is one of the UK's native lime species, recognised for its large green leaves, fragrant summer flowers and attractive upright growth habit. As the tree matures, it forms a broad, stately crown that makes a striking landscape feature.

Key Features

• Botanical Name: Tilia platyphyllos
• Growth Habit: Broad, upright and vigorous
• Foliage: Large heart-shaped green leaves
• Flowers: Fragrant pale-yellow flowers in summer
• Position: Full sun or partial shade
• Best For: Feature planting, parks, avenues and large gardens

Tilia Cordata, their native deciduous cousin, is the small leaved lime.  

There are several options for purchasing this tree depending on size and root formations.

The size of the tree is measured in centimetres and refers to the stem girth of the tree at approximately 1m above ground level.  Most of these trees will be around 3-4m in height but please note they are not sold by height, they are sold according to stem girth.  If in doubt about what this means, please do call the nursery and we will be happy to advise you.

You have the choice of purchasing bare root, rootballed or container grown.  

• Container grown trees are grown in plastic pots or bags and can be planted all year round.  The bare root and rootballed options are field grown trees which are dug from our fields to order to minimise the length of time they are out of the ground
• Bare root trees are dug from our fields with no soil around their roots.  They must be planted immediately after receiving them to reduce the chances of their roots drying out and struggling to establish.  As there is no soil around their roots, they are a cheaper option for planting.
• Rootballed trees are exactly the same tree dug from our fields however a ball of soil is dug around the roots which is then wrapped up in hessian.  This puts significantly less stress on the root system compared to a bare root, however please be advised that this can make them very heavy to handle, so please do telephone us to discuss this if you think it might be an issue for you.  When you receive the tree, you should plant it with the hessian still around the roots as it will quickly rot away and new root growth will easily push through the hessian.

Both the bare root and rootballed options are only available during the colder months of the year when they are dormant (usually between November and March, weather depending).

Due to the size of these Large Leaved Lime Trees (Tilia platyphyllos), we will need to quote for delivery on an individual basis. Please telephone us to discuss delivery of your plants. Plants can, of course, be collected from our nursery free of charge.

Careful preparation of your planting site is important and we recommend mixing your soil with compost and/or farmyard manure to give your trees the best start. It is also extremely important to plant using a tree stake and tie to support your tree in its first few years to avoid it blowing over until its roots have properly established as anchors in the ground.

We also stock a range of other specimen trees suitable for garden planting. These can be viewed on our trees page.

For more information on Large Leaved Lime trees or for advice on any other trees or hedging, please call us on 01252 714552 to speak to one of our experts or email us on sales@hedgesonline.com.