Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’

Description

Quick Facts
– Botanical Name: Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’
– Common Name: Greenspire Lime / Small-leaved Lime
– Plant Type: Deciduous tree
– Mature Height: Approx. 12-15m
– Mature Spread: Approx. 6-8m
– Flowering Period: June to July
– Flower Colour: Pale creamy-yellow, in small, intensely fragrant clusters
– Foliage Colour: Deep, glossy dark green heart-shaped leaves, turning clear yellow in autumn
– Habit: Upright, broadly oval crown with a strong central leader; uniform and symmetrical
– Hardiness: Fully hardy
– Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained, fertile; tolerates most soils including chalk and clay
– Aspect: Full sun to partial shade
– Maintenance: Low: minimal pruning needed

Description
Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’ is one of the most elegant and dependable ornamental limes. It has a strong, uniform, upright-oval crown and a straight central leader, which gives it a natural architectural shape without ever looking stiff. The deep, glossy, heart-shaped leaves look lovely all summer, and in midsummer the whole tree is covered in small, creamy-yellow flowers. Their sweet, honeyed fragrance drifts across the garden on warm air and draws in the bees.

In autumn the foliage turns a clean, clear yellow, and through winter the well-defined branch structure stands handsomely against the sky.

Timeless, generous and magnificent with age, ‘Greenspire’ is a tree worth planting for generations.

Caragh Garden Notebook

Planting:
Plant in autumn or early spring in moist, well-drained, fertile soil. ‘Greenspire’ is very adaptable and establishes well in most soils, including chalk, clay and compacted urban ground. Choose a spot in full sun or partial shade with room for the crown to develop. Stake firmly at planting and keep the stake for the first two to three years to support the central leader.

Watering:
Water thoroughly after planting and regularly through the first two to three growing seasons, especially in dry summers. Once established it is largely self-sufficient, though a deep water in prolonged drought keeps the foliage healthy.

Feeding:
Apply a balanced general fertiliser or a mulch of well-rotted compost in early spring. Established trees need very little extra feeding.

Seasonal Care & Tidy-Up:
Very little pruning is needed. Remove dead, damaged or crossing branches in late winter or early spring, and take off any suckers or shoots from the lower trunk as they appear.

Pests & Problems:
Generally healthy. Lime aphids can leave sticky honeydew in summer, which is cosmetic, so bear it in mind when planting near cars or seating. Small nail-like galls on the leaves are harmless and need no treatment.

Design Notes:
‘Greenspire’ is a first-class choice for avenues, driveways, formal schemes and larger gardens, where its uniform crown creates a real sense of arrival. It also tolerates urban conditions well, so it suits street and townscape planting. Underplant with spring bulbs or shade-tolerant ground cover.

Propagation:
Named limes are grafted by specialist nurseries. For the true upright-oval form, always source nursery-grown plants.