Tilia cordata
| Tilia cordata | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Tilia |
| Species: | T. cordata
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| Binomial name | |
| Tilia cordata | |
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| Distribution map | |
Tree bumblebee
on the small-leaved limeTilia cordata, the small-leaved lime or small-leaved linden, is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to much of Europe. Other common names include little-leaf or littleleaf linden,[2] or traditionally in South East England, pry or pry tree.[3] Its range extends from Britain through mainland Europe to the Caucasus and western Asia. In the south of its range it is restricted to high elevations.[4][5]
Description
Tilia cordata is a
hermaphrodite flowers are produced in clusters of five to eleven in early summer with a leafy yellow-green subtending bract, have a rich, heavy scent; the trees are much visited by bees to the erect flowers which are held above the bract; this flower arrangement is distinctly different from that of the Common Lime Tilia × europaea where the flowers are held beneath the bract. The fruit is a dry nut-like drupe 6–7 mm long by 4 mm broad containing one, or sometimes two, brown seeds (infertile fruits are globose), downy at first becoming smooth at maturity, and (unlike T. platyphyllos and also T. × europaea) not ribbed but very thin and easily cracked open.[4][8]
Ecology
The trees favour good, loamy sites, but can also be found on sandy, infertile soils, and are not thought to be drought resistant. Dormant shoots of Tilia cordata can resist winter frost temperatures as low as −34 °C.[9]
Trees in northern England were found to have established when the climate was warmer and have adapted to the cooling climate.
heartwood at the centre disintegrates and therefore rings cannot be counted, and other methods are used.[15]
Pests and diseases
The tree is fairly disease-resistant, though a common problem is
lace bugs and various species of moths,[16] such as Lymantria dispar dispar (Gypsy moth). This moth is one of the top 100 invasive species in North America, introduced by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, and citizens are encouraged to remove Gypsy moth egg masses and cocoons from tree bark in order to help prevent the spread of this species.[17]
Cultivation and uses
Tilia cordata is widely grown as an
ornamental tree. It was much planted to form avenues in 17th and early 18th century landscape planning. A famous example is Unter den Linden in Berlin. It is also widely cultivated in North America as a substitute for the native Tilia americana (American linden or basswood) which has a larger leaf, coarser in texture; there it has been renamed "Little-leaf Linden". It is popular as a shade tree with its dense canopy, as an ornamental tree with its architectural shape, and as a street tree. In the US, Tilia cordata has been planted in Wellesley, MA; Modesto, CA; Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN; and Atlanta, GA as street trees.[18] In Europe, there are espaliered trees owing to the ability to survive heavy pruning. Tilia cordata is an easy tree to train for bonsai when the training is not done all at once. Letting the tree recoup in between sessions over a period of several months creates a healthy, good-looking miniature tree.[19] Prior to the advent of firearms, it was also commonly used for making shields (as referenced in Beowulf
).
Tilia cordata survives best in a soil pH range of 5.0 to 8.0.[20] and in USDA Hardiness Zones 3–7.[21] The tree prefers moist, well drained soil, but can survive flooding; it is not highly drought tolerant.[16] It does not do well in soils with high salinity.[22]
Notable trees
The
Najevnik linden tree (Slovene: Najevska lipa), about 700 years old Tilia cordata, is the thickest tree in Slovenia. It is a place of cultural events, and every June a national meeting of Slovene politicians takes place under it.[23]
Hybrids
- Common lime: T. cordata readily hybridises with Tilia platyphyllos; the hybrid is commonly known as common lime, Tilia × europaea (syn. T. × vulgaris).[4][24]
Cultivars
- 'Corinthian' ('Corzam') – dense, uniform limb spacing creates a compact, pyramidal, formal shape; darker and smaller leaves; resistant to Japanese beetles.[21]
- 'Greenspire' – the most common, a cross between the cultivar 'Euclid' and a selection from the Boston Parks, broadly used as a street tree, survives better under difficult conditions, overall a good looking, quick growing tree.[21]
- 'June Bride' – significantly pyramidal habit, evenly spaced branches around a very straight central leader, glossier leaves, and 3 to 4 times as many flowers.[21]
- 'Winter Orange' – rich red-orange-brown stems with reddish buds, can be cut back to grow long shoot extensions. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[25][26]
Linden flower tea
In the countries of Central, Southern and Western Europe, linden flowers are a traditional herbal remedy made into an herbal tea called lime tea[27] or linden tea in Britain, tilleul in France,[28] tila in Spain.
Honey
A monofloral
bees
using the trees and is widely used all over Europe. "Linden honey" is said to be nutritious and to have medicinal qualities.
Leaves
The young leaves can be eaten as a salad vegetable.[29] Cattle often graze upon them.[28]
Linden wood
The white, finely-grained
St. Paul's Cathedral, Windsor Castle, and Chatsworth House.[28] It is also commonly used for lightweight projects such as carved spoons, light furniture, bee hives and honeycomb frames.[30]
Cultural significance
Tilia cordata is the
The leaf of Tilia cordata is also considered a national symbol of Slovenia.[citation needed]References
- . Retrieved 16 July 2023.
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Tilia cordata". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
- ^ "pry, n.1." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2020, http://oed.com/view/Entry/153661. Accessed 7 January 2021
- ^ ISBN 0-00-220013-9.
- ISBN 978-1-4746-1404-7.
- ^ "Den virtuella floran – stängd för ombyggnad". Linnaeus.nrm.se. Archived from the original on 2019-05-26.
- ^ ISBN 978-0030818639.
- ^ http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=2132 [permanent dead link]
- ^ Jensen, J.S. (2003). "Lime - Tilia spp" (PDF). EUFORGEN Technical Guidelines for Genetic Conservation and Use: 6 p. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2017-01-19.
- ^ Natural England internal website
- ^ Woodland Trust The test-tube tree, Broadleaf Anon, Spring 2014, p. 7
- ^ Natural England Citation dated 12 May 1986, Sssi.naturalengland.org.uk
- ^ Woodland Trust Giant seed hunt to revitalize woods, Broadleaf Anon, Spring 2014, p. 9
- .
- JSTOR 2556763.
- ^ a b Gilman, Edward; Watson, Dennis. "Tilia cordata Littleleaf Linden" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ "Gypsy moth". Natural Resources Canada. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
- ^ Phillips, Leonard E. Jr. (1993). Joel Stein (ed.). Urban Trees: A Guide for Selection, Maintenance, and Master Planning. United States of America: McGraw-Hill. p. 259.
- ^ "Bonsai Focus". Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Soil pH Trees and Shrubs and what they like" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-07. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-58874-868-3.)
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ Kotuby-Amacher, Jan (March 2000). "Salinity and Plant Tolerance" (PDF). Electronic Publishing. pp. 1–8. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ Šmid Hribar, Mateja. "Najevska lipa" [Najevnik Linden Tree]. In Šmid Hribar, Mateja; Golež, Gregor; Podjed, Dan; Kladnik, Drago; Erhartič, Bojan; Pavlin, Primož; Ines, Jerele (eds.). Enciklopedija naravne in kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem – DEDI [Encyclopedia of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Slovenia] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 28 August 2013.
- ^ http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=2131 [permanent dead link]
- ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Tilia cordata 'Winter Orange'". Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 102. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
- ^ "Wild Food UK", Wildfooduk.com
- ^ a b c Grieve, M. "Lime Tree". Botanical.com.
- ^ Vernon, J. (2007). Fruits of the forest. The Garden November 2007: 738. Royal Horticultural Society.
- ^ Williams SWCD (16 February 2005). "Little leaf linden is fragrant". The Bryan Times. p. 11. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ^ Aberystwyth University campus walks tree directory (PDF). Aberystwyth University sports centre. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.videsgidi.lv. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tilia cordata.
- Tilia cordata – distribution map, genetic conservation units and related resources. European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN)
