Plant library · Shade Trees
Tilia tomentosa
Silver Linden is a large, pyramidal shade tree with a 50-foot mature height and a canopy about 35 feet wide. Its green leaves flash silvery beneath in a breeze, bringing movement and contrast to an open lawn or large planting area. Fragrant flowers arrive from mid to late summer, adding a seasonal moment overhead rather than at border level. It is suited to USDA Zones 4 through 7.
Give this tree a prominent, open position where its upright early shape can develop into a substantial shade canopy. It works best as a lawn specimen, along a broad parkway, or in a generously scaled streetside planting where the crown will not press into buildings, overhead lines, or neighboring trees. Keep lower planting beds and seating areas outside the future branch spread so mature shade does not overtake them.[1][2]
Plant Silver Lindens 30 feet apart, center to center, when repeating them in a row or grove. That spacing allows the roughly 35-foot mature crowns to read as a near-continuous canopy while still giving each trunk a defined place. For a single tree, reserve a broad circle of open ground around the trunk and keep paths, drives, and structures beyond the expected canopy edge.
Use a full-sun site with soil that drains well and does not remain waterlogged. Moderate water needs make it a better fit for an irrigated lawn edge or bed with dependable establishment watering than for a dry, unwatered corner. Moist, fertile loam is well suited, though the tree can adapt to a range of garden soils once established.[1][2]
The canopy is deciduous, so its shade footprint changes through the year: dense summer cover gives way to more light below after leaf drop. Mid- to late-summer flowers are fragrant and pollinator-friendly, making the tree most active as a flowering feature when many spring trees have finished. Leave room around it for seasonal mowing, leaf cleanup, and access beneath the crown.
This is a tree for large-scale spaces, not narrow foundation beds or confined tree lawns. Its broad canopy needs room to mature, and early structural pruning helps establish a durable framework. Place it where future shade, root-zone access, and canopy clearance can be accommodated without repeatedly cutting back branches to clear nearby structures or circulation routes.[1]
Editorial content updated 2026-07-20.