Broad Leaf Lime Tree Saplings

Large Leaved Lime Plants

Delivered by Mail Order Direct from our Nursery with a Year Guarantee

The Large Leaved Lime tree, Tilia platyphyllos, is a large, vigorous native plant which is often used in city parks or roadsides. It responds well to regular pruning and it is very pollution tolerant. It has small, honey-scented flowers in early summer, before most other lime trees, which are great for bees. The aphids that live on this sap-rich tree will make a sticky mess on a car parked underneath the canopy, but they also provide food for other bugs and many birds. A wide range of caterpillars also likes this tree. It has large, heart-shaped dark green-leaved leaves. Mature trees can become very big when planted in the open, spreading into a 25-metre wide, 35-metre tall dome of intricate branches and a graceful, dark trunk that ends in prominent, python like-roots. Smaller branches sweep down close to the ground, providing plenty of shade. The dark green leaves have pale bellies and are famous for being very popular with insects, including the caterpillars of many moths and butterflies; the Lime Hawk-moth itself is one of Britain's most common large moths. Large Leaved Limes are not suitable for a clipped hedge but they make good, tall windbreak trees.

You can also buy the red-twigged lime, Tilia platyphyllos Rubra, from our nursery in large standard sizes.
Browse all of our other garden trees for sale.

Large Leaved Lime saplings are only delivered bareroot, during winter (Nov-April). All of our young trees and shrubs are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground when planted.

History & uses of Tilia platyphyllos: 

This tree and the Small leaf lime, Tilia cordata, are the parents of the Common Lime tree, Tilia x europaea. The freshly burst spring leaves are edible. The young flowers can be infused into a naturally sweet tea, but be sure to only use them when they are new: older flowers can make you feel ill (always research this sort of thing yourself before trying). The fibres of the inner bark are excellent for making into cords & ropes.

After you plant your Large Leaved Linden trees, the most important thing to do is water them in dry weather. You will also need to weed around the plants. Both of these will be necessary for at least a year after planting.
Water thoroughly but not too often: let the soil get close to drying out before watering your plants again.