Tilia platyphyllos 'Rubra'
red-twigged lime
A large vigorous deciduous tree to 30m tall, with a uniformly semi-upright habit, the twigs reddish in winter. Heart-shaped dark green leaves to 12cm in length, turn yellow in autumn. The pendent clusters of 3-5 pale yellow flowers are sweetly fragrant, and produced in midsummer; pollarding highlights the young red shoots for winter colour
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Size
Ultimate height
Higher than 12 metresTime to ultimate height
20–50 yearsUltimate spread
Wider than 8 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Yellow | Green | ||
| Autumn | Yellow | |||
| Winter | Red |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Genus
Tilia are deciduous trees with broadly ovate or heart-shaped leaves and pendulous clusters of fragrant yellow-green flowers, followed by conspicuous winged fruits
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Suitable for parks and very large gardens. Grow in moist but well-drained soil in full sun or part shade, with shelter from cold winds. May produce thickets of stems (suckers) at the base of the trunk. For more advice see tree cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by chip budding although care must be taken with the choice of rootstock or propagate by suckers in winter
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Architectural
- Wildlife gardens
- Hedging and screens
Pruning
Pruning group 1; a suitable tree for coppicing, pleaching and pollarding; remove suckers at the base of the trunk in spring
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, horse chestnut scale, caterpillars, sawflies and gall mites
Diseases
May be susceptible to sooty mould, phytophthora root rot and honey fungus
Get involved
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