- Tilia x intermedia
- Europe, Asia, North America, Mexico
Genus
Tilia is the old Roman name for the lime tree.
Deciduous, stately avenue and park tree; final height approx. 40 meters; approx. 50 species. The first "national heritage tree" in Germany is the thick summer lime tree from Heede in Emsland. It is estimated to be 600 to 800 years old and has a trunk circumference of 17 meters. The lime tree can live to be 1,000 years old.
Special characteristics: Nutty fruits, fragrant flowers.
Lime trees are trees with great beneficial effects: resistant to industry, deep-rooting, soil stabilizer, air filter, bee pasture, honeydew, tolerant of pruning, medicinal and ornamental tree, evaporation "trick" through felt hairs and turning the narrow side of the leaf towards the sun.
Mythology: Since ancient times, the lime tree has embodied the village and court lime tree and is regarded as a symbol of justice, love, peace and home as well as a place of community. It is firmly anchored in legends, fairy tales and songs, e.g. in the "Siegfried saga" and in the song "Am Brunnen vor dem Tore" and many others.
Information on the species
Tilia x intermedia, also known as bastard lime, is a hybrid of Tilia cordata x Tilia platyphyllos
Growth: large street and park tree up to 40 meters high and 30 meters crown width, conical, highly arched.
Bark: smooth, reddish-brown to olive-green, later longitudinally fissured
Leaves: heart-shaped, up to 10 cm long, dark green, yellow autumn coloration.
Flowers: yellow, 3 - 7-flowered on stalks up to 7 cm long, in hanging umbels, fragrant.
Fruits: spherical, tomentose, hard-shelled on stalks up to 7 cm long and 2 leaflets (flying propellers).
Characteristics: frost-hardy, wind-resistant, resistant to urban climates, limited drought resistance.
Wood use: Softwood, ideal for furniture, models, carving and woodturning.
Remedies: Essential oils, tannins and bitter substances can be extracted from the flowers, leaves, bark and bast. They are said to have an antipyretic and antispasmodic effect on colds, relieve skin diseases, mucous membrane irritations, rheumatism, stomach, liver, gall bladder and spleen complaints and help heal wounds. Lime blossom tea is widely used as a general household remedy.