Ptelea · CC BY-SA 4.0
Common lime
Tree·Tilia × europaea
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 3–8
Hardiness
Common lime (Tilia × europaea) is a tree. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFloweringFruiting
Works well with
from wiki dataNo companions recorded.
WHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 6–7.5
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Prefers loam, clay soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up calcium, potassium from deep in the soil
Adds a lot of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives shade (dense)
Gives wind shelter (high)
Gives leaf litter (high)
Gives organic matter (high)
Gives pollinator services (high)
Gives nectar (abundant)
Gives pollen (abundant)
Gives habitat (high)
Provides calcium
Provides potassium
Attracts pollinators
Attracts beneficial insects
Shelters birds
Shelters wildlife
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Canopy tree
Height2000–4000 cm
Spacing1500 cm (min 1000 cm)
Root depthDeep
Width1000–2000 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed, grafting, layering, softwood cuttings
Difficulty
Establishes in about 3 yr
Self-seeds a little on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed4 Oct 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Ptelea · CC BY-SA 4.0