How to identify Large-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos)

How to identify Large-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos)

Large-leaved lime, also known as Largeleaf linden, Female lime

Large-leaved lime exhibits a lush foliage with leaves that have a heart-shaped base, pointed tips, and are medium to dark green on top and lighter green beneath, featuring distinctive tufts of white hairs along the veins. These leaves usually span about 5 inches (13 cm) long. Clusters of creamy yellow flowers bloom on large-leaved lime, later producing small, gray, ribbed nutlets. The bark on younger specimens presents as smooth and gray, evolving into a more fissured texture with age.

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type: Tree

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Large-leaved lime

Heart-shaped leaves with tufts of white hairs along veins, measuring 5 inches (13 cm) long.

Creamy-yellow flowers in drooping cymes, rich in nectar, fragrant, and showy, blooming in June.

Distinctly shaped, small gray nutlets with ribbed texture, housing one to three viable seeds.

Reddish-brown stem with pointed buds, branches in a robust and branching pattern.

Smooth, gray bark in youth, with transition to rugged texture and deep fissures with age.

Detailed Traits of Large-leaved lime

Leaf Features

The leaves of large-leaved lime are medium to dark green on the upper surface, and light green with pubescence on the underside. Each leaf measures approximately 5 inches (13 cm) in length. They are alternately arranged, simple, with a cordate base and pointed tips. The texture is slightly rough due to the tiny hairs on the underside. The vein pattern is prominent with a central midrib and lateral veins. In the fall, the leaves turn from pale green to pale yellow.

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Flower Features

The flowers of large-leaved lime are creamy-yellow or pale yellow, blooming in June. They form drooping cymes measuring 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) long. Each flower features five sepals, five petals, numerous stamens, and a single hairless style. Rich in nectar, these flowers are fragrant and showy, attracting pollinators. Their distinctive color, shape, and scent make them easily identifiable during the blooming season.

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Stem Features

The stem of large-leaved lime is characterized by its reddish-brown color and usually has a hairy texture. It has notable pointed buds that protrude, adding to its distinctive appearance. Typically, the branches of the stem exhibit a reddish-brown hue as well, maintaining consistency in coloration. The stem generally exhibits a robust and sturdy structure, facilitating the plant's growth and support. The branching pattern is prevalent and tends to branch out at various points, indicative of its overall form.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of large-leaved lime is a distinctly shaped, small gray nutlet. Oval in form and boasting a ribbed texture, this fruit typically reaches maturity in late summer. Its size, not typically exceeding the dimensions of a small coin, houses one to three viable seeds. While the exterior presents a modest appearance, the interior seed count varies, occasionally offering more than a solitary seed. This characteristic nutlet, with its unassuming palette and unique ribbed design, is crucial for identification and understanding of large-leaved lime.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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Large-leaved lime and Their Similar Plants

Small-leaved lime vs. Large-leaved lime: What's The Difference?

Small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) is a deciduous tree that is cultivated all over the world as an ornamental plant in parks and avenues. Honeybees like to visit the flowers; monofloral honey made from this species is considered to be very nutritious. British ship outfitters used small-leaved lime wood for onboard furniture; French shipwrights thought the weak wood was used for shipbuilding and introduced the epithet, "limey," for British people.

American basswood vs. Large-leaved lime: What's The Difference?

American basswood (Tilia americana) is a deciduous tree with a wide, rounded crown, very similar to its European cousin Tilia Cordata. A subtle difference between the species can be found on the bark - if an orange hue is present in the valleys on the bark, then it is T. Cordata.

Silver linden vs. Large-leaved lime: What's The Difference?

Silver linden is a large deciduous tree that shimmers with the breeze. It has creamy white flowers rich in nectar, attracting bees and also being valuable for butterflies. In Romania, there’s a bronze bust of the poet Mihai Eminescu who often spent time under the silver linden tree with his loved one Veronica Micle.

Mongolian lime vs. Large-leaved lime: What's The Difference?

Mongolian lime (Tilia mongolica) is an ornamental tree that is popular for its small size, making it ideal for gardens. Its serrated leaves offer several seasons of interest as they emerge as bronze, turn to green in summer, and then to yellow in the fall. The common name, "Mongolian lime," and specific epithet, mongolica, refer to this plant's native range in Mongolia.

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Key Facts About Large-leaved lime

Attributes of Large-leaved lime

Lifespan

Perennial

Plant Type

Tree

Plant Height

18 m to 24 m

Spread

9 m to 15 m

Leaf Color

Green

Yellow

Flower Size

7 cm to 11 cm

Flower Color

Yellow

White

Green

Fruit Color

Brown

Silver

Gray

Stem Color

Red

Brown

Green

Leaf type

Deciduous

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Scientific Classification of Large-leaved lime

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Mallows, rock-roses, and allies

Family

Mallow

Genus

Lindens

Species

Large-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos)

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Distribution Map of Large-leaved lime

The plant 'large-leaved lime' is naturally found across temperate regions of North America. In addition, it has been introduced and is now established in parts of Western Asia and Northern Europe. Widely cultivated, 'large-leaved lime' has extended beyond its original range due to its adaptability and horticultural value.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Learn More About the Large-leaved lime

A Comprehensive Guide to Large-leaved lime How to Grow and Care for Large-leaved lime