Lime Trees in Cumbria — Grand, Long-Lived and Full of Surprises

Lime trees do not always get the attention they deserve in Cumbria. Oak, ash and beech tend to dominate conversations about significant native trees in the Lake District and South Lakeland, and with good reason, but lime has a claim to equal importance and in some respects surpasses them all in terms of longevity and ecological value. We encounter lime in a wide range of contexts across our coverage area, from ancient small-leaved lime in limestone woodland to grand common lime avenues on estate land, and it is always worth paying attention to.

The Lime Species of Cumbria

Three lime species are relevant to the Cumbrian landscape, and they are quite different from one another.

Small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata) is a genuine native species and one of the most ecologically significant trees of the Cumbrian limestone. It is found in ancient woodland on the carboniferous limestone of the Furness Peninsula, around Arnside and Silverdale, and in scattered sites across South Lakeland. In these locations it is often present as ancient multi-stemmed coppice stools, some of which may be many centuries old. Small-leaved lime is a reliable indicator of ancient woodland, in the same way as bluebell or dog's mercury, because it spreads only very slowly and is rarely found in secondary or recently established woodland. If you have small-leaved lime on your land, particularly in coppice form, it is worth knowing that you are likely sitting on ancient woodland of considerable significance.

Large-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos) is also native to Britain but considerably rarer than small-leaved lime in the north of England. It is found occasionally in the limestone woodland of the Arnside and Silverdale AONB and in some South Lakeland sites.

Common lime (Tilia x europaea) is a hybrid between small-leaved and large-leaved lime and is the lime most commonly seen in Cumbrian towns, village streets and estate planting. It is not a native species but has been planted very widely since the seventeenth century and is a familiar presence in the older residential areas of Kendal, Ulverston and other South Lakeland towns. Common lime is a vigorous, long-lived tree but comes with some specific management considerations that are worth understanding.

The Particular Challenges of Common Lime

Common lime is one of the most heavily used street and parkland trees in Britain, and it is also one of the most frequently mismanaged. Several characteristics make it challenging in an urban or suburban setting.

Common lime produces extraordinary quantities of epicormic growth, the dense clusters of small shoots that sprout from the base of the trunk and from the lower stem. These are a response to stress and pruning, and in heavily managed lime trees they can become a significant maintenance commitment. On pollarded lime trees in particular, the epicormic growth needs managing regularly to prevent it becoming unmanageable.

Common lime is heavily colonised by aphids during summer, which produce large quantities of honeydew. This falls as a sticky deposit on anything below the tree, including parked cars, garden furniture and paving, and can be a significant source of friction between lime tree owners and their neighbours. The aphid infestation is a normal characteristic of common lime and there is no practical control available in an amenity tree context.

Despite these challenges, common lime is a genuinely magnificent tree when given space to develop properly, and the older specimens found in the Victorian residential streets and estate grounds of South Lakeland are genuinely impressive trees that contribute enormously to the character of their settings.

Lime as a Wildlife Tree

Lime is one of the most important wildlife trees in the British landscape, and this is worth understanding for anyone managing lime in Cumbria.

The flowers of lime are exceptional for bees. Lime flowers in July, later than most native trees, at a time when many other nectar sources have finished for the season. The nectar production of a large lime tree is extraordinary, and on a warm July morning a lime in full flower is literally audible from a distance, the hum of bees working the flowers carrying some distance on still air. Lime honey is considered one of the finest honeys in Europe, and commercial lime honey production is significant in parts of continental Europe where lime is more abundant than in Britain.

Lime also supports a very large number of invertebrate species, including many moth caterpillar species and the full range of aphid-associated insects. The lime hawk moth, one of Britain's most striking hawk moths, uses lime as its primary larval food plant.

Ancient small-leaved lime coppice stools develop extraordinary structural complexity over centuries, with cavities, dead wood and veteran characteristics that provide habitat for bats, hole-nesting birds and specialist saproxylic invertebrates.

Pollarding Lime

Pollarding is the traditional management technique for lime in parkland and avenue settings, and lime responds to it better than almost any other species. A lime that has been pollarded on a regular rotation can be maintained at a defined height and spread indefinitely, and the regrowth from established pollard heads is extremely vigorous and predictable.

We carry out lime pollarding across South Lakeland and the wider Cumbria region. For established pollard trees where pollarding has been carried out historically, maintaining the pollard cycle is important because large, old pollard heads are structurally vulnerable if left unmanaged for too long. If you have old lime pollards on your land that have not been cut for many years, they need careful assessment before any resumption of pollarding, because the structural attachment of large, overgrown pollard heads deteriorates over time.

Get Advice on Lime Trees in Cumbria

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