Everything about Tilia Cordata totally explained
Tilia cordata (
Small-leaved Lime, occasionally Small-leaved Linden) is a species of
Tilia native to much of
Europe and western
Asia, north to southern
Great Britain (north to about
Durham), central
Scandinavia, east to central
Russia, and south to central
Spain,
Italy,
Bulgaria and the
Caucasus; in the south of its range it's restricted to high altitudes.
It is a
deciduous tree growing to 20-38 m tall, with a trunk up to 1-2 m diameter. The
leaves are alternately arranged, rounded to triangular-ovate, 3-8 cm long and broad, mostly hairless (unlike the related
Tilia platyphyllos) except for small tufts of brown hair in the leaf vein axils. The small yellow-green
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. The
fruit is a dry nut-like
drupe 6–7 mm long and 4 mm broad, downy at first becoming smooth at maturity, and (unlike
T. platyphyllos) not ribbed.
It readily
hybridises with
Tilia platyphyllos; the hybrid is named
Tilia × europaea (syn.
T. × vulgaris).
Cultivation and uses
It is the
national tree of the
Czech Republic and
Republic of Slovakia.
Tilia cordata is widely grown as an
ornamental tree throughout its native range in Europe. 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 (Basswood or American Linden) which has a larger leaf, coarser in texture; there it has been renamed "Little-leaf Linden".
In countries of Central Europe, linden flowers are a traditional herbal remedy (linden flower tea), considered to be of value as an anti-inflammatory in range of respiratory problems: colds, fever,
flu, sore throat,
bronchitis, cough and others.
A valuable monofloral
honey is produced by bees using the trees. The young leaves can be eaten as a salad vegetable.
The white, finely-grained
wood is a classic choice for refined woodcarvings such as those by
Grinling Gibbons or several prominent
medieval altars.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Tilia Cordata'.
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