Tilia cordata brings a formal upright outline, dense summer shade, and fragrant creamy-yellow flower clusters to a large garden. Its glossy heart-shaped green leaves turn clear yellow in fall, while the mature gray-brown bark becomes attractively ridged and furrowed.
Plant this large deciduous tree in full sun or partial shade in moist but well-drained soil. It accepts chalk, clay, sand, or loam and acid, neutral, or alkaline conditions. Allow ample room for the broad crown, shelter it from cold winds, and water young trees during dry spells.
The early-summer flowers provide nectar for pollinating insects, and the crown offers nesting cover for birds. It can serve as an architectural lawn tree or, where space permits, as a tall screen.
