Side by side
Large-leaved lime or black mulberry? How to tell them apart
Tilia platyphyllos · Morus nigra
How to tell them apart – large-leaved lime: soft, finely toothed leaves, and nutlets on a wing instead of berries; black mulberry: broad, gnarled tree with heart-shaped, rough leaves and dark purple fruits that look like blackberries.
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How do you recognise them?
- Large-leaved lime
- Large, lopsided heart-shaped leaf with a softly hairy underside and white tufts of hair in the vein axils.
- Compared with black mulberry: soft, finely toothed leaves, and nutlets on a wing instead of berries.
- Black mulberry
- Broad, gnarled tree with heart-shaped, rough leaves and dark purple fruits that look like blackberries.
| Large-leaved lime | Black mulberry | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, lopsided heart-shaped, 6–15 cm, finely toothed. Underside light green and softly hairy all over, with white tufts of hair in the vein axils. | Alternate, 8–15 cm, broadly heart-shaped and often slightly lopsided at the base, with a coarsely toothed edge, sometimes lobed; upper side rough as sandpaper, underside hairy. |
| Flowering | Clusters of 2–5 fragrant yellow flowers on a tongue-shaped bract, in late June (June). | Inconspicuous green, catkin-like flower clusters in May (May). |
| Fruit | Hard, globular nutlets with 5 distinct ribs. | Purplish-black, juicy mulberries (2–3 cm) in July–August; they stain badly. |
| Bark | Grey, finely fissured. Young twigs hairy. | Orange-brown, rough and furrowed; old trees become gnarled and leaning. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 25–35 m | Fruit tree, 6–10 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and butterflies | Yes, for birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | November–January |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Large-leaved lime is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
- Large-leaved lime grows 25–35 m tall: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Large-leaved lime
- Plant profile: Black mulberry
- Large-leaved lime: when and how to prune
- Black mulberry: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
- Large-leaved lime or small-leaved lime
- White mulberry or black mulberry
- Hazel or large-leaved lime
- Common lime or large-leaved lime
- Indian bean tree or large-leaved lime
- Handkerchief tree or large-leaved lime
- Silver lime or large-leaved lime
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.