Caucasian linden is a deciduous hybrid tree that grows 40 to 60 feet tall and 20 to 30 feet wide, thriving in hardiness zones 3 through 8. This medium-sized tree earns its place in landscapes through fragrant, pale yellowish-white flowers that dangle in drooping clusters each May and June, accompanied by distinctive papery wing-like bracts that catch the light. It adapts readily to urban conditions and poor soils while tolerating drought, making it far more forgiving than many of its linden relatives. The rounded pyramidal form gradually becomes more pendulous and graceful with age, creating a tree that works as a striking shade specimen or street planting.
Partial Sun
Moderate
3-8
720in H x 360in W
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Moderate
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Caucasian linden carries an unusual parentage, likely a cross between European linden and Caucasian linden, resulting in a hybrid with notably better aphid resistance than most other linden varieties and the bonus of fewer sooty mold problems downstream. The fragrant May-to-June flowers emerge on distinctive drooping clusters, each attached to papery bracts that can stretch 2 to 3 inches long, creating an almost delicate, architectural quality in the canopy. It genuinely thrives in tough urban conditions where many trees struggle, and once established, handles both drought and a wide range of soil types with composure.
Caucasian linden serves as both a shade tree and street tree, roles that suit its moderate size, urban tolerance, and graceful branching habit. It provides substantial canopy coverage for residential properties while remaining manageable in scale, and its ability to withstand the compacted soils, air pollution, and temperature extremes of urban settings makes it a practical choice for streetscapes and public landscapes where many trees falter.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Transplant containerized or bare-root linden trees in spring or fall. Plant in full sun to partial shade in average, medium-moisture, well-drained soil; space to allow 20 to 30 feet of width at maturity. Ensure soil drains adequately to prevent waterlogging.
Caucasian linden naturally develops a rounded pyramidal form that becomes more pendulous and graceful with age, requiring minimal formative pruning. Remove any damaged, diseased, or crossing branches in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges. If you have a grafted tree, promptly remove any basal suckers that arise from below the graft union to maintain a clean, single-stem form.
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“Caucasian linden is a hybrid of unclear parentage, though horticulturists generally accept that it arose from a cross between Tilia cordata and Tilia dasystyla. The hybrid has earned common names referencing both its Caucasian and Crimean heritage, reflecting the geographic regions associated with one or both of its parent species. Over time, this cross proved valuable to nurseries and landscapers because of its superior performance in urban environments and its resistance to the aphid infestations that plague many linden varieties. Today, many trees sold in commerce are grafted specimens, though purchasing own-root trees where available provides cleaner, lower-maintenance specimens without the complication of managing basal suckers.”