Illustration
Littleleaf Linden
Tilia cordata
Littleleaf Linden is grown for its foliage rather than flowers, giving the garden structure and color all season long.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Littleleaf Linden
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 49 ft tall and 33 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 20 years (not yet checked).
No toxicity note is on file for Littleleaf Linden. That is not a clearance: check its safety for people and pets before planting.
What this means
Written with AI assistance and not yet checked plant by plant against recorded sources, so treat every fact above as a starting point. Its scientific name was checked against botanical registries, an audit keeps its values consistent with the rest of the library, and a July 2026 review re-read the main facts of every plant then in the library against horticultural authorities without recording a source for each, which is why none of that counts as checked here. The source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open, and a checked plant says so in this row.
When to plant Littleleaf Linden
Plant Littleleaf Linden in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 8, spring means April to June and fall means August or September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Littleleaf Linden get?
49 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult33 ftwideSee Littleleaf Linden in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Littleleaf Linden
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Give Littleleaf Linden about 33 ft of clear ground in every direction, measured from its center. It is one plant with room around it, not a row, and a raised bed is too small for it.
Add Littleleaf Linden to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Good to know about Littleleaf Linden
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Worth knowing
One of the classic 'bee trees': its fragrant early-summer flowers are a major nectar source, and honey bees turn them into a prized light, fruity linden honey. per University of Minnesota
Tough tree, but salt-sensitive
A durable city tree that shrugs off pollution, compacted soil, alkaline pH and wind, but it is genuinely salt-sensitive: keep it away from roadsides that get de-icing salt. per NC State and University of Illinois
Japanese beetle's favorite tree
A preferred host of Japanese beetle, which skeletonizes the leaves. Damaged leaves release chemicals that draw in still more beetles, so it can strip badly in bad years. per NC State
Drips sticky honeydew
Linden aphids coat the leaf undersides and rain sticky honeydew onto whatever is below, which blackens with sooty mold. It is a cosmetic mess, not a threat to the tree. per Washington State University
Never spray it in bloom
Its flowers feed huge numbers of bees just as aphid and beetle pressure peaks, so avoid insecticides while it blooms, and be especially wary of systemic neonicotinoids. per Michigan State University
One disease can kill it
Verticillium wilt is uncommon on linden but has no cure and can be fatal. It is a soilborne fungus that attacks the tree's water-carrying vessels; only prevention helps. per University of Illinois
What pairs well with Littleleaf Linden
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Joe Pye Weed
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sneezeweed
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Feather Reed Grass
Shares full sun and moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Maiden Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Little Bluestem
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Douglas Fir
Shares full sun and moderate water; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
Explore similar plants
You might also like
Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.