Silver Linden
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Gets 50-70' tall and 30-50' wide. Starts out pyramidal, then becomes upright-oval to broad-columnar or pyramidal-oval in old age. Can be grown as a single stem or multi-stemmed specimen. Medium growth rate. Lives 70-100 years, or more.

Native Range

Native to southeastern Europe & western Asia. Introduced into cultivation in 1767.

Flower and Fruit Details

Ivory-yellow to yellowish-white , fragrant flowers, June-July. Flowers borne in 7-10-flowered cymes, hanging from 1.5-2.5" bracts. This is the latest of the lindens to flower. Flowers attract butterflies & bees. Fruits are egg-shaped, 1/3-3/8" long, w/ a sharp point, ripening in late summer.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Leaves are alternate, simple, 2-6" long and about as wide, cordate to truncate at base, serrated around margin, glistening, lustrous dark green on top, silvery-white tomentose beneath, w/ a 1-1.5" tomentose petiole. Fall color can be yellow, usually pale and not outstanding. Young stems are covered w/ a soft, short pubescence. Medium branches and trunks on young trees up to 10" diameter have smooth, light gray, beech-like bark. Older bark and trunks becomes gray-brown, ridged & furrowed.

Culture and Care

Transplants readily, prefers deep, moist, well-drained, fertile soils, & is pH adaptable; found on limestone in the wild. Quite tolerant of heat & drought. Plant in full sun or part shade. Zones 4-7. Some afternoon shade may be beneficial in Zone 7. Urban/pollution tolerant. Tolerates clay, loam or sand. Best drought tolerance of the lindens. Moderate salt tolerance. Transplants readily, prefers well-drained, fertile soil, pH adaptable. Susceptible to aphids/sooty mold and Japanese beetles, and gets both fairly regularly. Lacebugs & spider mites are other possible concerns, plus Verticillium wilt.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

3-season interest: Spring, summer & fall. Author & plantsman, Dr. Michael Dirr, calls this one of his favorite shade trees. Lindens are usually called limes in Great Britain.

Suggested Uses

Widely used as a shade tree, street tree, in wide medians, and as a park tree. Good in larger landscapes.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA