Tilia endochrysea

Introduced into cultivation, and our collection, from Guangdong province, China, in 1993 by Dr Donald Pigott while Director of the Garden, Tilia endochrysea is seldom cultivated. It occurs in the wild in broad-leaved woodland in China, where it can reach 20m in height. The emerging foliage is a brilliant scarlet, turning a deeper wine colour as it matures, and gradually fading to a mid green with a contrasting silvery underside. Though a hardy tree, the new, vibrant foliage is prone to frost damage. One of approximately 40 species of deciduous trees from Europe, Asia and North America, the genus used to belong to the lime family (Tiliaceae), but is now assigned to the mallow family (Malvaceae).