Tilia cordata
littleleaf linden

Notes:

Aphids love lindens and will drip honeydew, but according to UFL, this is not actually a serious problem. Japanese beetles, on the other hand, are.

"Predictably symmetrical". Suckers from the base.

Cultivars may keep to a single leader better than the species, which often requires training. Takes heavy pruning well. Flowers are not as strongly fragrant as those of T. platyphyllos, but Druse still describes them as "intense" and scented of honey with a hint of lemon.

Robert Kourik, in The Tree and Shrub Finder, writes that the species (no cultivars were tested) blocks on average 88% of sunlight in leaf, an outstanding result, but 41-58% when bare, which is not so great when you want to let winter sunlight in.

Missouri BG is the only source to cite drought tolerance (UFL and Stoecklein deny it), so I have not tagged it as such. Similarly, Cal Poly and Dirr/Warren claim clay tolerance, but at least JerseyYards.org and the USDA deny it. Soil compaction tolerance is debated (UFL vs. USDA).

I have tagged other trees as attracting bees, but this one is actually described (by more than one source!) as audibly buzzing when in bloom. You have been warned.

The species grows at a moderate rate; 'Baileyi' (Shamrock), 'Chancole' (Chancellor), 'Corzam' (Corinthian), 'Glenleven' (the tallest and fastest, though a hybrid), 'Greenspire' (described as having a 'near perfect' symmetrical pyramidal shape), and 'Ronald' (Norlin) (the fastest non-hybrid) are fast growers. On the flip side, 'Halka' (Summer Sprite) is slow-growing, tight, and dense.

Sources: Sunset, Stoecklein, UFL, Missouri BG, Cal Poly, JerseyYards.org, USDA, Druse, Dirr/Warren.

Tags:

attracts:bees
attracts:birds (ex-humming)
attracts:butterflies
branches strong
deer sensitive
dense canopy
easy to grow
exposure:full sun
exposure:part shade
fast-growing
form:tree
fragrant flowers
full sun preferred
habit:conical/pyramidal
habit:oval
litter:minimal
persistence:deciduous
pest/disease sensitive
pollution tolerant
pruning required
resprouts notably
rich soil preferred
roots:low damage potential
salt intolerant
sandy soil tolerant
stoloniferous/suckering
type:broadleaf
use:container
use:deck/patio
use:hedge
use:screen
use:shade tree
use:specimen
use:street
water:regular
wind tolerant


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