Tree of Merit: Harvest Gold Linden
(Tilia cordata x mongolica 'Harvest Gold')
by James Kaechele, New York Tree Trust Development Director
(photos by James unless otherwise noted)
As an open-pollinated hybrid of T.
cordata and T. mongolica, 'Harvest
Gold' linden steals the best from
each parent. Searching through
rows of lindens at Moon Nursery in
Chesapeake City, Maryland in early
2009, I noticed this tree was different.
'Harvest Gold' does not share the lia-
bility of 'Greenspire' linden's wide and
twiggy form. Nor does it suffer from
the often sparse crown of a young
'Redmond' or the frequently crowded
branching of silver linden. Time may
still reveal a fatal flaw for 'Harvest
Gold', but after planting and observing
it for the last ten years across diverse
New York City landscapes, I am pre-
pared to say this is an excellent linden.
'Harvest Gold' maintains a central
leader while young, making for easy
clearance pruning without compro-
mising overall form. Branching off that
central leader is regular and balanced;
these characteristics lend themselves
to a tighter teardrop/pyramidal shape.
The leaves are a deep green through
summer and have a loosely toothed
margin. The cultivar name accurately
describes a rich and lustrous fall color
that photos do not do justice. The bark
is different than most lindens—exfo-
liating and flaky with a rich tan color
underneath. It is reported that in time
this cultivar becomes more handsome,
almost like a mature Ostrya virginiana.
Reported mature height of 'Harvest
Gold' is 40 feet (12 m) with a spread
of 30 feet (9 m). Around the corner
from my gym, B&B nursery stock
planted at 2.5 to 3 inches (63.5 to 76
mm) in spring 2010 is now in excess
of 24 feet (7.3 m) in height and 6
inches (152 mm) DBH. The vigor is
impressive; 'Harvest Gold' has a USDA
Zone 3 cold hardiness rating.
James Kaechele is the New York Tree
Trust Development Director and he is
an Arborist for The Fruit Tree Planting
Foundation. He is an ISA Board Certified
Master Arborist and New York State
Urban Forestry Council Board Member.
Deep green summer foliage
of 'Harvest Gold' linden.
Fall color closeup of 'Harvest Gold'
linden, a cultivar introduced in 2000
by Jeffries Nurseries Ltd in Manitoba.
Photo from jeffriesnurseries.com
www.urban-forestry.com 39
Same trio in fall. Trio of 'Harvest Gold' trees in summer in NYC. Bark of maturing
'Harvest Gold' linden.
