Forum home› Plants

Can a large tree survive being kept in a pot?

RP32RP32 Posts: 47
in Plants
Hi, after a bit of advice. My wife really like the Lime Tree (known as Linden Tree to her) as they have fond memories of childhood. However, having researched they grow WAY too big for our garden (up to 30m tall!).

I have searched but unable to find any kind of dwarf variety, unless anyone knows of one?

Failing that, if I were to plant one in the largest pot I could find, would it survive?

Hoping there's a way to keep one of these happy without planting in the ground as I'd really love to surprise her with one as a gift.

Thanks

RP

Posts

  • pansyfacepansyface Posts: 22,300
    It might live for a few years but that’s all.
    Apophthegm -  a big word for a small thought.
    If you live in Derbyshire, as I do.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,078
    edited June 2019
    As you say a lime is a massive tree ... beautiful and very special to me too ... but way too big for any pot or even any normal garden. 

    Had you considered having a lime tree planted especially for her in the National Forest ... the lime is on the list of trees you can choose ... she would get a certificate with her name and the details on it ... info here 

    https://www.nationalforest.org/get-involved/plant-a-tree/dedicate-a-tree

    Hope that helps 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • ForTheBeesForTheBees Posts: 168
    You could always learn the art of bonzai...
    https://belanmaros.blogspot.com/2017/04/tilia-cordata-no1.html
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,324
    That’s a lovely idea @Dovefromabove. You could always buy her a citrus lime tree as a consolation, if you have a conservatory to keep it in!
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,361
    Online it says Tilia henryana grows ten feet in ten years.
    Smaller and slower than the more common Lime, lovely as it is.
    You would need to double check and research that information.
    Whether you could grow it and keep it dwarfed in a very big pot is another matter.

    Depends what your wife wants, but it might be worth looking into.
    The idea of having one planted in her name is really nice as suggested by @Dovefromabove
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    As an alternative there is a type of lime/linden that used to be kept in conservatories. My mother had one for years that she got from her German friend. I'm afraid I don't know the name though, sorry.

    This link is an example
    https://pin.it/euulpctriyvqwt
  • edhelkaedhelka Posts: 2,350
    You could bonsai it. The trick with bonsais growing in so small and shallow pots is repotting to new compost every year and root pruning.
Sign In or Register to comment.