Tilia henryana

Henry's lime
Leaves of Henry's lime in midsummer
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Tilia
Species:	T. henryana
Binomial name
Tilia henryana Szyszyl.

Tilia henryana Szyszyl. , commonly known as Henry's lime, is a species of tree native to the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, and Zhejiang. ^[1] It was introduced to the West by Ernest Wilson in 1901, and is named after the Irish plantsman and sinologist Augustine Henry, who collected the type specimen in 1888.

Description

Henry's lime, Exbury

Henry's lime is a deciduous tree growing to 25 m in height, its bark pale grey and fissured. The sea green leaves are cordate, < 10 cm long, with distinctive ciliate margins, and are borne on 3–5 cm petioles. The tiny pale, almost white, fragrant flowers appear in clusters of up to 20 in autumn.

Cultivation

The original clone in commerce grew very slowly, but faster-growing clones are now available. The tree performs best in sheltered locations. ^[2]

Notable trees

The TROBI Champion grows at Birr Castle, Co. Offaly, Ireland; planted in 1946 it measured 15 m tall by 44 cm d.b.h. in 2010. ^[3]

Varieties

Two varieties are accepted by Plants of the World Online, T. h. var. henryana and T. h. var. subglabra, ^[4] principally distinguished by branchlets that are yellow, stellate tomentose, and glabrous, resp.

References

1. Tang, Y., Gilbert, M. G., & Dorr, L. J. Tiliaceae, in Wu, Z. & Raven, P. (eds) (2007). Flora of China, Vol. 12. Science Press, Beijing, and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis, USA.
2. White, J. & More, D. (2003) Trees of Britain & Northern Europe. Cassell's, London. ISBN   0-304-36192-5
3. Johnson, O. (ed.). (2011). Champion Trees of Britain & Ireland. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. ISBN   978-1842464526
4. "Tilia henryana Szyszyl". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 2025-06-20.