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Pruning guide · Broadleaf tree
Common lime: when and how to prune
Tilia × europaea
Common lime is best pruned in November–March.
| Pruning months | November–March |
|---|---|
| Nesting season (15 March–15 August) | Take care in March |
| Flowering | June–July |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
Common lime: when to prune it?
During winter dormancy (November–March). Remove trunk shoots in summer.
Prune while dormant, from November to March, but not in freezing weather.
What else to prune in those months? January · February · March · November · December
Common lime: how to prune it?
- Tolerates hard pruning very well: ideal as a pleached or pollarded lime. Cut a pleached lime back to its framework every winter, and cut a pollard back to its head every few years.
- A free-standing tree only needs formative pruning while young: a single leader, crossing branches removed and the crown gradually lifted to the height you want.
- Keep the trunk and base free of the many shoots.
How much to cut, and how often?
- One pruning period a year: November–March.
- Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.
What does it mean for wildlife?
- Pruning in March can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
- Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.
Common mistakes
- Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
- Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.
Caution: Suddenly cutting back a large, mature lime (‘topping’) leaves big wounds and a mass of weak shoots. Decide from the start on a free-standing tree or on a pleached or pollarded form.
Nearby: related pruning guides
Similar to: Difference from Caucasian lime · Difference from small-leaved lime · Difference from large-leaved lime
Plant profile: Common lime · Pruning calendar and basic rules
This guide is compiled from the Bladwijzer plant profile and pruning calendar.