tree

Small-leaved lime

Tilia cordata

Native

Growing guidance

Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.

Current-climate suitability

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Future-climate resilience

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Sun

Sun or shade

Soil moisture

average, moisture-retentive

Heat tolerance

Up to about 36°C

Cold tolerance

Down to about -30°C

Waterlogging tolerance

3/5

Drought tolerance

3/5

Mature size

10–20 m tall, 10 m spread

Seasonal interest

Midsummer flower · Cream

Maintenance

low

Wildlife supported

General wildlife value 5/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)

Known risks or warnings

Aphid honeydew drips onto parking below.

Toxicity: none

Verified botanical record

Accepted scientific name: Tilia cordata Mill.
Family: Malvaceae (Malvales)
Rank and status: species · accepted
GBIF record: Taxon 3152047

Recorded native range: Belgium, Brussels-Capital Region, Flanders, Flemish Region, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Walloon Region

Recorded as introduced in: Illinois, Maryland, New Brunswick, New York, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Uzbekistan, Vermont, Virginia

Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.

Tilia cordata, the small-leaved lime or small-leaved linden, is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to much of Europe. Its other common names include little-leaf or littleleaf linden, or traditionally in South East England, pry or pry tree. Its range extends from Britain and Scandinavia through mainland Europe to the Caucasus and western Asia. In the south of its range it is restricted to high elevations.

Description from Wikipedia — Tilia cordata (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.

Native status and geographic context

United Kingdom: native
United States: climate-suitable
Australia: climate-suitable

Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.

Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Where to buy

Real retailers serving UK. Garden Forward publishes no prices of its own — each link opens the retailer's own search results, where their current price and stock are shown.

Search Ashridge Nurseries for Tilia cordata
Bare-root trees, hedging and fruit in the dormant season.
Search Sarah Raven for Tilia cordata
Perennials, bulbs and seed, delivered across the UK.
Search Farmer Gracy for Tilia cordata
Bulbs and perennials shipped direct from Dutch growers.
Search Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants for Tilia cordata
Specialist hardy perennial nursery.
Search Marshalls Garden for Tilia cordata
Fruit, vegetable plants and seed.

No affiliate relationship is in place with these retailers, so nothing here earns Garden Forward a commission. Search links checked 2026-09-17. Availability of a species is never a reason it is recommended.

Companion palettes

Not currently in a sample palette.

Climate-resilient alternatives

Data sources

Taxonomy and native range: GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Species description: Wikipedia — Tilia cordata
Photograph: Wikimedia Commons contributor · Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Growing guidance: Practitioner horticultural estimates pending expert review

Botanical record checked 2026-09-17 · growing guidance last reviewed 2026-06-01 · confidence high

Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.