Leaf
Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Large-leaved lime
Tilia platyphyllos Scop.
Also known as: Broad-leaved lime, Large-leaved linden
Family: Malvaceae
20 to 30 m tall
Cool forests, often on calcareous soils; widely planted in towns and as avenue trees
Flowering: June, earlier than small-leaved lime
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -25°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Large-leaved lime flowers about two weeks before small-leaved lime — their fruits tell them apart best: thick-shelled and clearly ribbed here, thin-walled, smooth and brittle in the other. Small-leaved lime has smaller leaves and a smooth, thin-walled, brittle fruit, whereas large-leaved lime has larger leaves and a ribbed, hard fruit.
🍃 Leaves
Broad, cordate at the base, toothed, dark green above, slightly downy beneath
🌸 Flowers
Pale yellow, very fragrant, grouped in drooping cymes borne on an elongated bract
🍎 Fruits
Small globular, ribbed, downy achene, unwinged unlike small-leaved lime
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth on young trees, becoming fissured into scales with age
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, found throughout France, often planted in towns for its shade
🐝 Value for pollinators
Extremely nectar-rich flowering, one of the most attractive to bees among European trees
✂️ Horticultural uses
Avenue and shade tree widely planted in towns and parks, flowers harvested for herbal tea
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity; flowers traditionally used as an infusion
⚠️ Look-alike species
Large-leaved lime
Tilia platyphyllos
Small-leaved lime
Tilia cordata
Small-leaved lime has smaller leaves and a smooth, thin-walled, brittle fruit, whereas large-leaved lime has larger leaves and a ribbed, hard fruit.
🌿 Other Malvaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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