Small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata): what the forestry bodies record

This page reports what forestry bodies say about one tree. It does not identify trees from descriptions or photos and does not say what should be done with any tree. Each fact names its source, all read on October 9, 2026. Agency records for other lindens and basswoods in North America sit in the guide to tree species in the agency records.

At a glance

Item	What the source records
Scientific name and family	Tilia cordata, family Malvaceae (Woodland Trust)
Origin	Native (Forest Research and Woodland Trust). Forest Research files it as Small-leaved lime with the code SLI and calls it a Secondary tree species.
Height	More than 20 m, a large deciduous tree (Woodland Trust)
Rainfall, exposure, shade	More than 500 mm of rain preferred; not tolerant of exposure; shade tolerant (Forest Research key properties)
Age	Up to 500 years as a tree (Forest Research); more than 1,000 years where managed as coppice (EUFORGEN)

Range

Forest Research says small-leaved lime is native to England and Wales and widely distributed through central and western Europe and into Russia. It is one of two native limes, with a wider distribution and more common than large-leaved lime, Tilia platyphyllos. The hybrid of the two, Tilia x europaea, is very widely planted in parkland and avenues. The entry says lime was once a dominant forest species that declined after 3000 BC largely because of human activity, and that remaining lime woods are linked to local place names such as Lyndhurst in Hampshire. The Woodland Trust says it is rare in woods and, in some English regions, an indicator species of ancient woodland. EUFORGEN, the European forest genetic resources programme, gives the northern limit as Finland and Norway.

Site and soil

Forest Research calls it a temperate species that is cold hardy, drought and frost resistant, but does not tolerate exposure. In its native range annual rainfall is between 500 and 3,350 mm. It grows on a wide range of soil types, best on fresh to moist soils of medium to rich nutrient status, and on alkaline sites if moisture is adequate. The entry says it is not suitable for peat soils or for very dry or nutrient poor sites. EUFORGEN says it thrives in well-drained, fertile, loamy soils, prefers cool and moist environments, and is quite drought and shade tolerant. Forest Research says viable seed needs summer warmth, so natural regeneration is infrequent, and that regeneration is more readily achieved by layering. It describes the tree as a good soil improver because of deep rooting and the honeydew that aphids deposit.

Leaves, flowers and bark

The Woodland Trust describes heart-shaped leaves with a pointed tip, 3 to 8 cm long, hairless except for reddish to brown tufts under the vein joints. It names that tuft colour as the way to separate it from common lime, which has white tufts, and from large-leaved lime, which has hairs all over the underside. Bark is grey-brown and smooth, flaking in plates with age. Flowers are green-yellow with five petals in clusters of 4 to 10, with a rich heavy scent that attracts bees. In winter it names shiny red buds shorter than 4 mm with 2 to 3 scales.

Wildlife and uses

The Woodland Trust says the leaves feed the caterpillars of many moths, including the lime hawk moth, and that aphids on the leaves feed hoverflies, ladybirds and birds. Flowers give nectar and pollen to bees, which also drink aphid honeydew. EUFORGEN says the wood is soft and resistant to splitting and used mostly for carving, and that the tree is used for amenity, shelterbelts, urban planting and gardens. Forest Research notes that limes drop large amounts of aphid honeydew in summer.

Pests and diseases the sources name

Forest Research says mature trees can suffer root killing and bleeding cankers caused by Phytophthora, that verticillium wilt is infrequent but can be fatal, and that sap-sucking insects are common and produce copious honeydew. It says young plants and coppice are heavily and preferentially browsed by deer, while bark stripping by grey squirrels is rare. This site profiles Phytophthora root rots from extension and Forest Research sources.

Text on Forest Research is adapted from its tree species database entry and contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.