Jesse Saylor
Family
Tiliaceae
Botanical Name
Tilia tomentosa
Plant Common Name
Silver Linden
General Description
Grown for its handsome foliage that flutters and flashes with the slightest breeze, this medium to large deciduous tree is also valued for its symmetrical habit and fragrant summer flowers. It is native to Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe and is commonly grown as a street and park tree.
The green, glossy, heart-shaped leaves of silver linden have fuzzy, silver-gray undersides that shimmer as they turn in the wind. In early summer clusters of small, fragrant, creamy-white blossoms dangle from the branches, yielding nectar that attracts (and intoxicates) bees. Each flower cluster has a conspicuous wing-like bract at its base. Small, beige, ovoid fruits follow the blooms. In autumn the foliage becomes greenish yellow. This oval to pyramidal tree has smooth silver-gray gray bark that becomes furrowed and gray-brown with age.
Silver linden prospers in full to partial sun and fertile, deep, humus-rich soil. Established specimens are drought-, heat-, and pollution-tolerant. This beautiful linden is an ideal shade tree for parks, large yards, and streetsides. It can also be used in large allées. Notable cultivars include the broadly pyramidal, disease-resistant 'Sterling Silver' and the vigorous, oval-crowned 'Princeton'.
All bees are attracted to silver linden blossoms but the flowers are toxic to some. Honeybees are the primary pollinators of this tree and show few negative effects when they ingest its sweet, pungent nectar. But bumblebees, wasps and other pollinating Apoidea have trouble digesting its sugars and often die in intoxicated bliss after feasting upon its flower's nectar. Unlike the nectar, silver linden pollen is not toxic to pollinators.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
5 - 9
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Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
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Plant Type
Tree
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Height
60'-90' / 18.3m - 27.4m
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Width
35'-65' / 10.7m - 19.8m
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Bloom Time
Early Summer
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Native To
Europe, Eastern Europe, Western Asia
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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Soil Drainage
Average
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Soil type
Loam
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Tolerances
Pollution, Drought
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Average Water
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Habit
Oval/Rounded
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Insignificant
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Flower Color
White, Ivory
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Fruit Color
White, Tan
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green, Silver
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Silver
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Yellow Green, Silver
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Bark Color
Rose, Brown, Gray, Silver
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
Yes
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
