We were just in Austria and enjoyed the manuy fragrant linden blossoms in early June.
Is this your basic "European Linden" so called?
We are interested in planting one in Seattle. Would it be a good fit?
Any special cautions about soils?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Dwight Gibb
Needs plenty of space...
In message , Dwight writes
The order of blooming of the European species of Lime (Linden) is
Tilia platyphyllos (Large-leaved Lime) Tilia x europaea (Tilia x vulgaris) (Common Lime) Tilia cordata (Small-leaved Lime) Tilia tomentosa (Silver Lime)
In my part of Britain the flowering times are early June, late June, July and August.
To my nose, it's Tilia tomentosa which is noticeably fragrant, but you would have noticed the silvery underside to the leaves (and I doubt that flowering times would be that much different in Austria).
I don't know how the flowering times differ between Austria and Britain, but I'd assume that you were seeing either T. platyphyllos or T. x europaea.
You probably don't remember the details, but if you do I offer some advice on identification at
If you decide to plant here are some suggestions. Planting
Pruning Wait until the following growing season before pruning tree.
Also
While the Linden is young , you could start a pollard. Pollarding to control tree size is an ancient art form. It is not topping where targets are ignored. Linden lends itself to pollarding. If I had room, which I might, I would place a pollard on my property.
Hi Dwight,
We saw many Lindens in Russia last year. In fact Matryoshka Dolls are carved from Linden. Linden is the same as Basswood. Decoy carvers and many other wood carvers favor Basswood/Linden.
Our alien linden, the common linden is Tilia x europaea:
... which is a natural cross of Tilia cordata (littleleaf linden):
... and Tilia platyphyllos (largeleaf linden):
Our native linden, is American basswood:
In England they call them Lime trees though they are not related to citrus in any way.
The common lindens in Europe are:
Tilia cordata, small-leaved linden (leaves 1.5 to 3.25 inches in dia.) Its native range is northern and central Europe.
Tilia platyphyllos, large-leaved linden (leaves 2.5 to 3.5 inches in dia.) Its native range is central and southern Europe.
Tilia x eruopaea, common linden. Its native range is central Europe.
So what you saw could have been any of these three European lindens. They favor alkaline soils.
Someone mentioned to me recently that there's a linden pest now in the U.S.; anyone know anything about that? I'd been thinking of getting a linden myself but this makes me pause.
According to Colorado Extension:
"Linden trees, sometimes called basswood or lime tree, are an excellent choice for the urban landscape. They are especially hardy, tolerant of alkaline soils, visited by few destructive insects and exhibit a natural, pyramidal shape that requires little pruning. Lindens are slow growers and will take many years to provide shade. They produce small, round, persistent fruits that are attached to leaf-like appendages. These trees have attractive, golden yellow fall color.
Lindens may be plagued by aphids. They do not hurt the tree, but may result in sticky foliage which attracts bees and wasps. Cottony maple scale may also infest linden. This scale looks like small one-fourth inch cottony masses on the twigs and branches. Again, they cause no harm to the tree, but the scales can create a nuisance."
However they are very susceptible to herbicides, so if you use any weed'n'feed product anywhere near by, the foliage will get distorted. It is perhaps the most susceptible plant to herbicides.
According to Vermont Extension and Wisconsin Extension:
The northeastern US has a Linden Borer that is a serious pest. Injury to trees may be kept to a minimum by maintaining tree vigor and by wrapping the lower trunk of newly planted trees with tarred paper for a year or two until the tree is well established.
Thank you very much!
I guess now I have to decide how "northeastern" Howard County Maryland is.
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