Littleleaf Linden
Tilia cordata
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, Krym, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine
Ivar Leidus
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Malvaceae
- Genus:
- Tilia
- Species:
- Tilia cordata
- USDA Symbol:
- TICO2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 2500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow, cream
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds, small mammals
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers fertile soils with good organic content
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 150–180 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 30–365 days
- Notes:
- Seeds have deep dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Germination can take 1-2 years and is often erratic.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI