Tilia cordata Lico - Lime

The Tilia cordata 'Lico' is an amazing dwarf variety of the Small-Leaved Lime tree, which does not exceed 3 m (10ft) in height at maturity. It forms a small deciduous tree with a rounded crown that reaches the same diameter. Its young branches are of beautiful yellow-green colour, remarkable in winter. Its leaves, much smaller than those of the species cordate, are tender green. This miniature cultivar is suitable for small gardens and planting in containers. It is not demanding in terms of soil as long as it remains moist and tolerates sea spray and urban pollution.

The Tilia cordata (synonym Tilia parviflora) belongs to the Tiliaceae family; it is native to European forests. Spontaneous in France, this species is common in the east and the Pyrenees. It is a deciduous species that thrives in partial shade, with a large canopy capable of exceeding 30 m (98ft) in height; it is often found in mountainous areas, growing up to 1500 m (4921ft) in altitude, mostly on fresh, deep, fertile, acidic to neutral soil. Its longevity is excellent.

The 'Lico' cultivar is a Dutch creation. The growth of this tree is slow, reaching 3 m (10ft) in all directions at maturity. It forms a small tree with a short trunk topped by a globose canopy. Its bark, when mature, is dark brown and channelled, while the smooth young branches are yellowish-green. Its entire alternate leaves are particularly small, measuring 3 to 6 cm (1 to 2in) in length. They are rounded, heart-shaped at the base, and acuminate at the tip, finely toothed at the edge. The lamina is of a tender green. The leaves turn golden yellow in autumn and fall quite early in the season. Flowering takes place in early summer, in June-July. Numerous small white-yellowish flowers are gathered in pendulous corymbs in groups of 15 to 20 and attached to the branches by a long petiole. Remarkably fragrant, they delight bees. They are followed by small globose grey and smooth fruits attached to a wing called samara.

The 'Lico' Lime tree is an interesting small tree wherever space is limited: in front of a house, in a courtyard, on a rooftop terrace, and even in a pot. It is easy to grow. Plant it as a standalone tree, the only tree in a tiny garden. Its fragrant early summer flowering is melliferous. Under its small canopy, plant flowering perennials and ground cover plants give it a rustic look. Consider Epimediums, Geranium nodosum, Vinca minor, and Ivy, which tolerate dry shade.