A study evaluating the effects of varying levels of chilling on foliar budbreak of linden (Tilia spp.) culivars was initiated in 1999 in Auburn, Ala. [lat. 32°36'N, long. 85°29'W, elevation 709 ft (216m), USDA Hardiness Zone 8a]. Littleleaf linden (T. cordata) `Greenspire' and `Fairview' required the most chilling to produce measurable budbreak and exhibited the lowest budbreak percentages. Silver linden (T. tomentosa) `Sterling' and american linden (T. americana) `Redmond' needed the fewest hours of chilling to produce budbreak and exhibited the highest budbreak percentages. `Sterling' was the top performer in foliar budbreak percentage and in subsequent growth. Although `Redmond' attained high budbreak numbers, its overall growth during the following growing season was inferior to that of `Sterling', `Greenspire' and `Fairview'. This information can contribute to the development of regional planting recommendations, which can aid in the selection of lindens suitable for the area in which they will be grown. Calculated r2 values indicated the models used provided a good fit to the data for all cultivars.