Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Broad-Leaved Lime (Tilia platyphyllos)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Broad-Leaved Lime, Large-Leaved Linden, Bigleaf Linden.

More about broad-leaved lime

About Broad-Leaved Lime

Tilia platyphyllos · also called Broad-Leaved Lime, Large-Leaved Linden · flowering

A fast-growing, broadly columnar European native that can reach 40 m, bearing large asymmetric heart-shaped leaves and pendulous clusters of fragrant pale-yellow flowers in midsummer. Suited to large gardens and parks. Tolerates hard pruning and a range of soils, but is prone to aphid infestation and basal suckering.

Cold limit: USDA 4–8 · RHS H6 (-20°C to 35°C)

What broad-leaved lime's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — broad-leaved lime is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4–8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4–8 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Broad-Leaved Lime is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for broad-leaved lime as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can broad-leaved lime go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4–8 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when broad-leaved lime can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Broad-Leaved Lime hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is broad-leaved lime cold hardy?

Yes — broad-leaved lime is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4–8, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Broad-Leaved Lime is hardy across USDA 4–8; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature broad-leaved lime can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Broad-Leaved Lime is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is broad-leaved lime?

Broad-Leaved Lime is rated USDA 4–8 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can broad-leaved lime survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4–8 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to broad-leaved lime below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.