Scientific Name
Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’
This is a European tree closely related to the American linden but with smaller leaves and stature. Thanks to some attractive cultivars, it is one of the most used trees in urban landscaping. The heart-shaped leaves with serrated edges are a bit late to leaf out, which gives a clue to the tree’s identity, as do the sweet-smelling midsummer yellow flowers, much loved by honeybees. The flowers give rise to small, dry, round tan fruits (“nutlets”) suspended from an elongated structure — botanically, a bract — that some people mistake as a second type of leaf.
During the winter, the fine, graceful structure of branch and twig growth is revealed, including many branches that begin arching upward, then turn down, and finally turn up again. This linden is tolerant of drought, varying soil chemistry and slow-draining clay. Drought tolerance aside, its foliage may scorch and show brown edging in late summer following especially hot, sunny stretches of weather. It is also a favored menu item for Japanese beetles, which can skeletonize the leaves, though this does not cause much if any long-lasting damage to the tree.
Popular cultivars are available that develop a predictable pyramidal form. Some cultivars have a fairly narrow growth form, whereas others are more wide spreading. These trees can reach a height of around 55 feet at maturity, with the largest in Colorado having reached 72 feet.