Littleleaf Linden
(Tilia cordata)
General Description
Medium-sized tree native to
pyramidal to rounded crown. Desirable specimen tree in the
landscape. The flowers are highly fragrant and attractive to
bees.
The largest tree in
spread of 32 feet.
Leaves and Buds
Bud Arrangement - No terminal buds. Lateral buds are
alternate.
Bud Color - Reddish-brown in color.
Bud Size - Lateral buds are about 1/8 inch long.
Leaf Type and Shape - Simple, cordate
or heart-shaped, oblique
base.
Leaf Margins - Finely serrate.
Leaf Surface - Glabrous and slightly lustrous above,
glabrous
beneath with axillary tufts of brown
hairs.
Leaf Length - 1¼ to 3 inches.
Leaf Width - 1¼ to 2½ inches.
Leaf Color - Dark green, bluish-green
beneath; yellow fall color.
Flowers and Fruits
Flower Type - Borne in 5 to 7 flowered pendulous cymes,
bearing
pale greenish-yellow, leaflike
bracts.
Flower Color - Creamy-white to pale yellow perfect
flowers.
Fruit Type - Fruit is a small 1/5 inch nutlet, thin shelled, and
without ribs.
Fruit Color - Brown to tan when mature.
Form
Growth Habit - Pyramidal when young, becoming rounded
when
mature.
Texture - Medium, summer; medium, winter.
Crown Height - 30 to 45 feet.
Crown Width - 20 to 30 feet.
Bark Color - Gray to brown, ridged and furrowed on older
trees.
Root System - Wide spreading.
Environmental Requirements
Water
Intermediate tolerance to flooding. Not drought resistant.
May develop leaf scorch under drought
conditions.
Light
Full sun, but will tolerate some shade.
Uses
Conservation/Windbreaks
Medium height tree for farmstead windbreaks in eastern
third
of
Wildlife
Of little documented value.
Agroforestry Products
Wood - Light wood for carving, inner bark used in
making
baskets.
Food - Honey derived from flowers highly desired.
Medicinal - Used for indigestion,
hysteria and nervous stomach.
Urban/Recreational
Used for specimen, boulevards and public parks. Its
medium size
permits using it on sites with limited space.
No major pest problems known.
III-126
