Tilia × europaea is a large deciduous tree up to 15–50 metres (49–164 feet) tall with a trunk up to 2.5 m (8 ft).

[3] The leaves are intermediate between the parents, 6–15 centimetres (2–6 inches) long and 6–12 cm (2–5 in) broad, thinly hairy below with tufts of denser hairs in the leaf vein axils.

The flowers are produced in clusters of four to ten in early summer with a leafy yellow-green subtending bract; they are fragrant, and pollinated by bees.

[2] This hybrid is very widely cultivated, being readily and inexpensively propagated by layering; as a result, it is often the commonest Tilia species in urban areas and along avenues and streets.

It is not however the best species for this purpose, as it produces abundant stem sprouts, and also often hosts heavy aphid populations resulting in honeydew deposits on everything underneath the trees.