Family: Malvaceae
Common name: Small-leaved lime, Small-leaved linden, Little-leaf, Littleleaf linden, Little-leaf basswood, Pry tree, Pry
Small-leaved lime is a medium-sized, strong, deciduous tree commonly grown as a ornamental tree in Europe and North America. They are well-known for their longevity, attractive foliage and the large bunches of flowers that attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
Tree characteristics
The tree can grow to a height of 20-40 meters with a spread of 12-15 meters and a trunk diameter of about 1 meter. Small-leaved lime trees have a broad, dense crown providing ample shade and nesting places for birds.
The bark is smooth and gray when the tree is young, slowly becoming fissured and cracked with age.
The leaves of the Small-leaved lime are heart-shaped, about 3 to 8 cm long, dark green above with a lighter tinge underneath. During autumn, the leaves turn yellow or more technically chartreuse in color making the tree almost phosphorescent, before the leaves fall off to prepare for winter.
The Small-leaved lime tree is covered with flowers in summer, small, creamy-white flowers that are about 1-2 cm in diameter. The flowers hang from a pale yellow bract which looks like a pale-colored leaf.
Since the tree belongs to the Hibiscus family of Malvaceae, the flowers have both male and female reproductive structures. They emit a sweet, heady fragrance that attracts small birds, bees, insects, and butterflies that help pollinate the flowers.
Once pollinated, the Small-leaves lime flowers produce rounded, woody nuts that are about 1 cm in diameter. These fruits contain 1 or 2 seeds and are attached to the bract that help them to fly short distances enabling wind dispersal.
Gardening Tips
Small-leaved lime trees are good for home gardens to attract pollinators that will help other plants that grow in the garden. Give them a nice, sunny corner to settle down and grow fully.
These trees prefer moist, well-drained soil and regular watering when they are young. Once they are mature, they near very little care or attentions.
Prune any stray or diseased branches to keep the crown grow rounded and healthy. Small-leaved lime trees are also grown as bonsai trees if they are pruned slowly and allowed to recover well between heavy pruning.
Uses
Small-leaved lime tree flowers are known for their soothing effects and are used to make Linden flower tea that helps relieve anxiety and indigestion. Parts of the tree are used in the treatment of fever, hypertension, liver and gall bladder diseases.
Young leaves are used in salad, and are also preferred by grazing animals. Honey produced by bees that exclusively feed on these flowers, called Linden honey is very popular all over the world since it is said to be very nutritious.
Wood of the Small-leaved lime tree is not exceptionally strong, but is mainly used for wood carvings. These tree can live for several hundred years and is often planted as a heritage tree in community parks and estates.
In traditional folklore, the Small-leaved lime trees are symbols of love and peace and were often found in the center of towns and villages across Europe, serving as gathering places for community meetings.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds, stem cuttings or layering. Layering is the process where a low-hanging branch of the tree is bent towards the ground, and buried with a small incision made in the stem. This part will grow roots, after which it can be separated from the parent tree and replanted.
Photographed at: Kensington garden, London
