Small Leaved Lime, Tilia cordata, is a native tree with a fairly narrow, column-shaped canopy. It grows vigorously on any fertile soil and tolerates woodland shade.
Small Leaved Lime is not suitable for a clipped hedge. Tilia cordata is a medium-sized, round-headed, deciduous tree that produces sweet-scented flowers in spring which are great for bees. It has heart-shaped leaves, glossy green above with a pale underside. It can be grown as a screening tree up to about 25 metres high. It is a good, tall windbreak tree and is a phenomenal source of nectar for bees. The plants on this page are young saplings. You can also buy the ornamental variety, Tilia cordata Greenspire, in large standard sizes from our nursery. Small Leaved Lime plants are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-Apr).
View our selection of coastal hedging plants or see our full range of hedging.
Choosing a size: When you are ordering a large quantity of Small Leaved Lime saplings for a big planting project, we suggest that you buy smaller plants. They are cheaper than large plants, easier to handle and more likely to cope well with poor conditions. Use the larger, 120-150cms tall plants if you are in a hurry to get a mature tree.
All of our young trees and shrubs are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).
This tree was extensively coppiced in the past for supplies of bast, which is the inner layer of bark. These fibres are excellent for making cords and ropes, which could then be used to make a multitude of useful objects. There are some ancient stools of coppiced small-leaved limes that are about 16 metres wide and may well be over 2,000 years old.