Small-leaved lime is a native tree of the UK and is widely planted. Often found in parks, green spaces and on road sides as stree trees. In Exeter they are fairly easy to come across and the 'Greenspire' cultivar seems to be a popular one. In most cases they are heavily managed to keep their size fairly small (crown lifts / pollarding) but when they are allowed to grow to their full size they can happily reach sizes of 30m or more. A common feature of the Small-leaved lime is the suckers it sends out from the base of the tree. The similar​ Common lime is a natural hybrid of the Small-leaved lime and the Large-leaved lime tree.

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It is a fairly fast growing deciduous tree and like most members of the Tilia genus are okay with pollarding. Most Small-leaved lime trees are raised in nurseries and planted in parks and green spaces but there are a few truely 'ancient' ones still living in the UK. Many years ago there were would of been acres of ancient woodlands with Small-leaved lime being the main species - similair to old Common beech woodlands. Cocklode Wood (part of the Bardney Limewoods) is the best surviving spread of medieval small leaved limes in England.  There is a small-leaved limed tree in Germay that is over 1000 years old which is truly incredible. 

On mature trees the bark is pale grey-brown and irregularly ridged. On mature trees the bark is slightly furrowed

During the Autumn the mature fruit (nutlets) really stand out

The bark on younger trees is fairly smooth and grey. As the tree matures it will develop horizontal fissures as well as vertical ridges. Even on younger trees they can be covered with lichen and moss - most likely due to it being a truly native tree of the UK.  The crown is typically more pyramidal in shape whren young and will become more broad and round as it matures. The tips of the branches point more outwards giving it a curvy apperance. The buds are alternately arranged and resemble small boxing gloves. They are a wine red colour in the colder / dormant season and bright green in the warmer / growing season. The buds have two unequal bud scales and there is never a terminal bud. Around April time the leaf buds will open up to reveal brigh green heart shaped leaves.

Small-leaved lime is a deciduous tree and can reach heights of up to 20m.  Popular as a park tree

The flowers are white-yellow with five petals and hang in clusters of 4 - 10 typically. Flowering is usually late June to July

The leaves are heart shaped (cordate) which is why its scientific name is Tilia Cordata. During April the leaves are bright green but quickly mature. The top surface of the leaf is dark green and the underneath is a lighter green. The leaf axils will contain small rusty orange / brown hairs  but the rest of the leaf remains smooth to the touch. The leaves can be anything from 3cm to 8cm in length, but as there are quite a few cultivars the sizes can vary more so. In the Autumn time the leaf colour is a bright yellow which can quickly brighten up an area - espeically if there is an avenue of them.

The fruit is a small and round-oval in shape with a pointed tip. They are fairly smooth and slighlty ribbed

The leaves are heart shaped and around 3 - 8cm in length. The undersides are a lighter green and have orange hairy tufts

The flowers are usually on show from the middle of June to the middle of July. They are hermaphrodite which means both the male and female parts are contained in the same flower. They are insect pollinated and are adored by bees and many other insect pollinators. On a hot summers day when the tree is in full flower it can be covered with honey bees. The smell of the nectar is very strong and can easily be smelled when nearby. Once successfully pollinated the flowers will developy into a small nutlets which are held on a bract. These contain the seeds (one or two per nutlet) and they are dispersed by the wind months later.

OTHER USEFUL LINKS

• ​Tree Guide​
• Wikipedia
• Woodland Trust

QUICK FACTS

• Small leaved lime is a large deciduous tree and can grow to heights of over 30m
  
• ​ It is a native tree of the UK
• Other common names are Linden, Small-leaved linden and Littleleaf linden
• ​Despite the name containing the word lime it has nothing to do with the citrust fruit lime
• ​The old english name for these trees were called Lind
• ​Outside of the UK they are often referred to as Linden trees
• It can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure
• During the 18th century many Lime trees were imported from the Netherlands to grace the gardens of stately homes
• As a tree it grows vigorously and can happily live for over 500 years
•  It is one of the few trees that responds well to pollarding and other heavy tree methods of reducing the size of the tree
• It has a deep rooting system which extends further than it's crown which makes it a poor choice as a street tree (when allowed to grow to a large size)
• ​The bark  is a pale grey-brown colour and has irregularly ridges
• The stringy inner bark is called bass or bast which has been used to make mats, ropes, and baskets
• It is often used for carvings and the sounding boards for pianos, and for charcoal used by artists
• The wood is white, smooth and close-grained
• It is a light wood and doesn't become worm-eaten
• Lime  wood has been coppiced and used as fuel, hop-poles, bean-sticks and bowls
• They are deeper at the base of the tree and quite often accompanied by a cluster of suckers
• ​​ The leaves of the suckers are very different than that of the leaves furter up the tree which can lead to further mis-identification
• The buds are alternately arranged on the twigs
• The twigs are slighlty zig zag apperance and the buds resemeble small red boxing gloves
• ​The colour of the buds is typically a deep red but this only applies to Spring, Autumn and Winter. In the Summer the buds are green
• ​​During mid June to July the tree is in flower and really stands out
• The sweet nectar from the thousands of flowers can be smelt from a fair distance which is why Lime trees are also known as the Bee Tree as they adore the flowers.
• The flowers are insect pollinated - mainly by bees
• ​The flowers are quite small and hang in clusters of 4 to 10 and are accompanied by a leafy yellow-green subtending bract
• ​The flowers have white petals with yellow male parts (anthers) and the female parts  (stigma and ovary) are white
• ​​The flowers mature into small round / oval shaped drupe with a pointed tip
• They start off a dull green and mature into a light brown colour and are dispersed by the wind
• ​The fruit of the tree is referred to as nutlets and the structure that holds the flowers / fruit is called a cyme
• The leaves are heart shaped and are 3 - 8cm in length and are virtually hairless
• On the underside of the leaves between the leaf veins are small clusters of tiny orange / brown hairs
• The underside of the leaves is a lighter green than that the surface
• The leaves often have small blisters caused by aphids and other sap-sucking insects
• Lime nail gall (Eriophyes tiliae) is a small mite that causes the upright red bugle like structures on the surface of the leaves
• The bracts of Small Lime are more upright than other types of Lime tree
• The mature fruit (nutlets) are not ribbed which helps with ID
• It been used as a home remedy for colds, flu, coughs, epilepsy and indigestion
• The flowers have been used to make a herbal tea which was popular in World War 2
• Dried Lime leaves have been ground into flour because of its exceptional nutritional properties, and contain protein
• During the French Revolution, more than 60,000 Lime trees were planted in all the districts of France
• In the Middle Ages Lime trees were planted near hospitals because they made the air healthier and calmer
• The Celts and the Germans claimed that truth emerged under the shade of a Lime tree
• In Eastern countries it sometimes called the tree of justice
• It was once a dominant woodland species but it is now rare in woods
  
• The fibres beneath its bark were used to make rope
  
•  In Närke, Sweden there is a Small-leaved lime tree with a circumference that measured 8.35m
  
• In Germany there is a Small-leaved lime tree is said to be over 1000 years old
  

PLEASE LEAF ME ANY FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

If there is anything out of place or wrong please contact me. Equally if there is anything you wish to add please let me know. The more information we have about Small-leaved lime the better. Many thanks!

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