Orange-twigged Lime Small Leaved Lime Winter Orange, Little Leaved Linden, Winter Orange

Tilia cordata Winter Orange has uniquely orangey red stems that glow fiery orange throughout the winter. 

This beautiful tree is a new variety of the Small-Leaved Lime Tilia cordata, which was found as a seedling in the Netherlands in the 1970s.

It has the characteristic heart-shaped leaves of its parent, which are lime green throughout the summertime.

Fragrant creamy white flowers appear in July. In the autumn, the leaves are early to turn and fall, at which point they become bright buttery yellow.

Throughout the winter time, this tree gives its most vivid display when the redbuds and orange shoots are the most prominent.

Tilia cordata Winter Orange is a medium to large tree with a broad oval crown at maturity.

Being part of the Lime family, it is a tough performer, tolerating the rigours of the urban environment and a range of soil conditions, including clay.

This beautiful tree is a wonderful addition to planting schemes that require an injection of colour and can be accommodated in smaller gardens by being treated as a pleach.

Pleaching involves training the tree onto a frame to form a flat shape, which can be managed with regular pruning and tying in. This tree is a great candidate for such treatment, as the bright red stems are most prominent on new shoots; pruning promotes this.

Mature height: 12-17m

Common names

Orange-twigged Lime Small Leaved Lime Winter Orange, Little Leaved Linden, Winter Orange

Height of tree

12-17m

Soil type

Well drained, Clay, Will tolerate most soil types

Shape

Oval

Blossom Colour

White

Foliage Colour

Green

Information Flags

Good for bees, Bark interest

Looks good in

Autumn, Winter

Location

Garden, Parkland

Genus

Tilia

Autumn Colour

Yes