Large-leaved lime: when and how to prune

Tilia platyphyllos

Large-leaved lime is best pruned in November–March.

Updated on 11 October 2026

Key facts
Pruning months	November–March
Nesting season (15 March–15 August)	Take care in March
Flowering	June
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees and butterflies
Native to Belgium	Yes

Large-leaved lime: when to prune it?

During winter dormancy (November–March). Cut off water shoots on the trunk 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

Large-leaved lime tolerates hard pruning very well: on a pleached lime, cut all new shoots back to the framework every winter, and cut a pollard back to its head every few years.
For a free-standing tree, formative pruning while young is enough: a single leader, crossing branches removed and the crown gradually lifted to the height you want.
Keep the base of the trunk free of shoots.

One pruning period a year: November–March.
Never remove more than about a quarter of the crown at once. Better a little every year.

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.
Large-leaved lime flowers in June, when it attracts bees.
Host plant: caterpillars of butterflies or moths eat the leaves.
As a native plant, it feeds more insects than a non-native species.
Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Caution: A pleached or pollarded lime is ongoing work: skip a few years and the shoots thicken, making the cut back a heavy job.

This guide is compiled from the Bladwijzer plant profile and pruning calendar.