Tilia Cordata Rancho Small Leaved Lime

Tilia Cordata Rancho or Small-Leaved Lime Rancho is a new cultivar of Tilia Cordata, a native deciduous tree which is well-suited to use across the UK. Introduced in the United States in 1961, it has a dense, conical crown which responds well to training and pruning into topiary shapes such as pleached or espaliered. Its small heart-shaped leaves, 5-12 cm long, are a glossy dark green on the top and a lighter green underneath. In early summer, clusters of fragrant creamy white flowers will perfume the air and attract bees and butterflies. They are followed by winged fruits, first green and then brown. The foliage creates a striking autumn show when the leaves turn yellow. 

Tilia Cordata Rancho distinguishes itself from other Small leaved Lime varieties in that its growth habit is dense and conical and it is a small to medium-sized tree.

Height and Spread of Tilia Cordata Rancho
Small leaved Lime Rancho will grow to a mature height of 10-15 metres and spread of 6-9 metres in 20 to 50 years.

How Hardy Is Tilia Cordata Rancho?
Small leaved Lime Rancho is fully hardy throughout the UK and across northern Europe.

How to Use Tilia Cordata Rancho
Grown as a specimen tree, Small leaved Lime Rancho makes an excellent focal point in a lawn. A row of trees lining a roadway or avenue will provide a long season of interest with its foliage and flowers. This native species is a good choice for a woodland or wildlife garden. Small-Leaved Lime Rancho is also a popular choice for pruning and training into topiary shapes such as block, pleached or espaliered. When restricted in shape and size through these methods, it is suitable for use as a screen in smaller gardens or terraces. It is good a specimen tree in a courtyard garden. Our specimens are trained as full standard trees on clear stems of at least 2 metres.

How to Care for Tilia Cordata Rancho
Plant Tilia Cordata Rancho in full sun or partial shade in a sheltered position with any aspect, in moist but well-drained nutrient-rich clay, sand or chalk soil with an alkaline to neutral pH. Tolerant of aerosol salt and fairly wind-resistant, it is suitable for use in coastal locations, and as it also has a high tolerance for pollution and will tolerate paving, it is a very popular city tree. It is drought-tolerant once established. Small-Leaved Lime Rancho responds well to pruning, which should be done from mid-summer to mid-winter.

Whether left to grow to its full size, or pruned and trained as a topiary specimen, Tilia Cordata Rancho is a hardy tree which will thrive in UK gardens!