Lime - small leafed (Tilia cordata)

Our range of bare root Lime trees (Tilia cordata)

We grow Tilia cordata bare root trees from seed which is sown in spring and then the 1+0 specification trees are ready to be sold the following November through to April months, when they are 1 year old. In recent years there has been a really severe shortage of good quality Tilia cordata seed so if you require any tree saplings, please order well in advance (even a year in advance).

We always have several batches of seed of Tilia cordata including UK provenance and the highest quality imported seed so if the seed provenance is particularly important to you, please give us a call so that we can allocate plants from the most appropriate batch.

Lime (small leafed) (Tilia cordata) Summary

Tilia cordata is a large native tree with an oval crown, scented spring yellow flowers and is very good at supporting a wide range of wildlife, moth caterpillars, aphids, ladybirds, hoverflies, birds and bees.   It copes with air pollution well and is often found in urban settings, avenues and parks as well as woodlands and although once dominant in many woodlands it is now rather rarer.  It can be pollarded or pleached.

Soil and Situation

Best grown in deep, moist, fertile soil but can cope with much poorer soil conditions, including dry soil, but not waterlogged. They grow well in full sun or partial shade.

Leaves, flowers and fruit

The leaves are heart shaped (cordate) with a pointed tip, medium sized (up to 8cm), glossy green on top with a paler glaucous colour underneath and a finely serrated edge.  The flowers are small but quite showy – greenish, yellow in colour and highly scented.  Pollinated flowers turn into small nut like fruits attached to brown semi transparent wings.

Eventual height and growth rate

This is a large tree, capable of reaching up to 40m and an average growth rate of about 30-40cm pa.

This section gives definitions on the specifications of plants that we sell.  We are specialists in field grown (or bare root) plants which are grown in two ways.  The majority are grown from seed, some are ready within one growing season (seedlings or 1+0's) and some species require two growing seasons (1u1's).  In addition to growing from seed we also grow from small plants or cuttings (transplants) which are much more widely spaced (taking more land, more irrigation water, fertilisers and labour).  There are only a handful of bare root wholesale nurseries in the UK and of those even fewer grow transplants but Ray Jenkins has many years' experience of transplanting so we grow these in large volumes.  Ray has written this blog about the benefits of bare root plants and how they are grown and another blog which gives further detail on bare root specifications.

The detailed specifications are shown below.  If you are in doubt about what specification to use please email us on enquiries@rjtreesandhedging.co.uk with a description of the project (and photos if appropriate) and we will advise you.

1+0 - field grown in one season from seed, known as a seedling (sometimes called a whip), generally a slender single stem plant.   These are the cheapest specification and are particularly suitable for planting where weed competition will be less intense, soil is shallow or on exposed windy sites.  Gives a high root to shoot ratio and minimal plant "check".

2+0 - a 2 year seedling, field grown from seed in the same seed bed in two growing seasons where the species cannot be grown to a saleable plant from seed in one season

1U1 - 2 year old plant called an undercut, field grown for two seasons in the same seed bed and undercut by machine (a sharp blade cutting the roots under the soil level) after the first year to develop the root structure. We do this with several species which take 2 years to develop (eg oak, beech, hornbeam)

1+1 - 2 year old plant (transplant) grown from seed in the first year and then transplanted into a different area of the field and spaced out for the second growing season - a robust plant with a larger and more robust root system than seedling or undercut plant which will enable it to better withstand drought and weed competition. Often the best choice and the staple norm for farm hedging and this specification is a requirement of the Countryside Stewardship Grant

1+2- a 3 year old plant, two years field growing in the seedbed and then transplanted (and spaced out) for a further two growing seasons giving a tall, stocky, bushy plant

2+1- a 3 year old plant, two years field growing in the seedbed and then transplanted (and spaced out) for a further growing season, giving a strong bushy plant

3+1 - as above but field grown for a further growing season for more height and a very bushy plant

1+3- 4 year old, one year field growing in the seed beds and then transplanted (and spaced out) for three years, giving a very strong, bushy plant

2+2- 4 year old, two years field growing in the seed beds and then transplanted (and spaced out) for a further two years - a very mature plant suited to certain species like beech and hornbeam where we can offer almost instant hedging

and some that are a bit different.....

P9 - a plant grown in a greenhouse or polytunnel in a 9cm pot (for holly which germinates poorly in the field)

Cell grown - a plant grown in small deep cells (like a small yogurt pot) and then lifted out of those for transportation. Commonly used in forestry and large hedging projects.  Very high quality plants with excellent success rate.  See our blog on the benefits of cell grown plants.

C+1 or C+2 - a 3 or 4 year old plant initally started as hardwood cuttings grown on for a year as cell grown plants and then lined out in fields to grow on for a further 1 or 2 years (a technique used for Cherry Laurel)

0/1 - a hardwood cutting, then field grown for one season (for example for white willow, black poplar and osier)