Leaves & needles
Large heart-shaped leaves, usually 6–12 cm, with hairy stalks and soft hairs across the underside.
UK nativeDeciduousTypical height 20–35 m
Large-leaved lime
Tilia platyphyllos
A large, long-lived native lime, naturally local in Britain, with soft, hairy, heart-shaped foliage.
THROUGH THE YEAR
Large-leaved lime through the seasons
A tall, broad crown of large heart-shaped leaves.
Leaves turn yellow; the broad outline becomes increasingly open.
An expansive framework of limbs with reddish alternate buds.
Typical open-grown form. Leaf fall varies with weather and location; young or clipped trees may retain dead leaves. Pruned, sheltered and young trees can look different.
LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER
How to identify large-leaved lime
Bark
Grey-brown, smooth when young, developing ridges and flaky plates.
Twigs
Young shoots green-grey to reddish; hairiness varies.
Buds
Reddish, rounded to pointed buds with two or three visible scales, usually over 4 mm long.
Flowers & pollen
Sweetly scented creamy-yellow flowers hang in clusters below a long pale bract.
Fruit, seeds & cones
Rounded, relatively hard fruits hang beneath the pale, wing-like bract.
Typical flowering: Jun, Jul. Weather and location change timing.
Images show typical features and are not to scale. Confirm several features using the reference sources below.
CARE WITH PURPOSE
Caring for large-leaved lime
Help it thrive
Needs room and moisture-retentive, well-drained soil; often associated with lime-rich ground. Protect roots from compaction.
Pruning advice
Preserve the main crown framework. Plan clearance pruning before branches become large, and have older managed trees assessed individually.
When can it be pruned?
June–August after leaf expansion
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Highlighted months are an indicative window for the work described, not a reason to prune every year. An unshaded month is not an absolute ban.
Timing must suit the tree's health, weather, wildlife and legal protection. Avoid severe frost, drought and vulnerable new leaf growth. Mature trees, major branches and suspected defects need professional assessment.
Tree health: what to watch for
Identification & care references
Guide researched November 2026. Identification remains provisional until several features agree. UK native means native in some part of the UK, not necessarily your area.
Before work in England, check tree preservation orders, conservation-area restrictions and wildlife protection. Official tree protection guidance ↗