| Name |
Ornamental
- Tilia Cordata - Little Leaf Linden |
| Cultivation |
An
outstanding shade tree, littleleaf linden is one of the best trees for
planting in cities and along streets. Littleleaf linden blooms with fragrant
pale yellow flowers in midsummer. Littleleaf linden responds well to pruning
and is sometimes used as a hedge, especially in European gardens. It tolerates
air pollution well and all kinds of soils, from acidic to limey. The trees
are long lived and have a graceful form. Lindens tolerate root disturbance
better than most trees, and are thus suitable for moving and replanting
at a larger size, even as tall as 15 ft . |
| Family |
Tiliaceae |
| Genus |
Tilia |
| Synonyms |
Tilia
Cordata, Small Leaved Lime, Littleleaf Linden |
| Known
Hazards |
None
Known |
| Range |
Hardy
in Britain and Ireland. Tilia cordata is native to European forests, from
northern Spain and England, east through Sweden to western Russia and the
southern Caucasus. It has been cultivated as a shade tree for hundreds of
years. |
| Height |
Littleleaf linden is a deciduous shade tree from Europe. The tree can get
up to 90 ft tall with a 50 ft spread, but is usually smaller. |
| Habitat |
Light:
Littleleaf linden thrives in full sun.
Moisture: Tilia cordata likes a moist, but well drained soil. It does not
take kindly to drought. |
| Characteristics |
The
leaves are heart shaped with fine teeth on the margins, about 3 in long
and almost as wide. They are alternate with rather long, slender petioles
(leaf stems). The flowers, each about .75 in across, are clustered in
hanging cymes, 2-3 in across. |
| Edible
Uses |
See
Medicinal Uses |
| Medicinal
Uses |
The
flowers of the littleleaf linden have a long history of use in treatment
of various disorders. Herbal teas and preparations made from the blossoms
are used as an antispasmodic to soothe gastric problems, relieve nausea,
relieve anxiety and to quell coughs. The flowers contain high concentrations
of flavenoids and polyphenols, compounds with antioxident and other properties
that provide a range of beneficial actions in the body. Linden flowers are
one of the botanicals from which extracts are made that are added to cosmetics
and shampoos that soothe skin and bring out lustrous highlights in your
hair. |
| Other
Uses |
Bees
make a fine honey from the nectar produced by the fragrant flowers. |
| Propagation |
Linden
seeds require a period of moist, cold dormancy before they will germinate.
Plant seeds outside as soon as they ripen, or stratify for 3-5 months and
plant in spring. The cultivars are bud-grafted onto seedling rootstock.
It is also possible to divide suckers and to propagate by layering. |
| Cultivars |
Many
selections have been named, including narrowly upright forms, pyramidal
forms, and some with parallel spreading branches. Hybrids with other European
and Asian species also are available. |