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Linden, Adaptable, and Low Maintenance

By Jos Van Hage

A favorite tree of mine is the Linden (Tilia) tree. They are sometimes called ‘lime trees’, ‘bee trees’, or ‘basswoods’ and grow throughout the Northern Hemisphere. The trees are deciduous and have a long trunk and a nice round or pyramidal shape making them a nice choice for a specimen or shade tree. When choosing a site think of the future as these long living trees grow up to 50 feet in height and have a spread of 20-40 feet so they need their space and should be kept a distance from buildings. The bracted clusters of small cream flowers can be seen blooming now and the air is filled with their sweet fragrance that attracts bees and butterflies. Flowers last for about two weeks and can be dried and made into herbal tea. The wood of the tree is light and soft and is used for making furniture by woodcarvers and the tough inner bark was used by the Indians for the making of rope. So, this tree is not only beautiful but also serves many purposes.

Linden trees are adaptive to most conditions but grow best in full sun to partial shade and should be in an area where it will receive adequate moisture, as they do not like to go dry. They like a well-drained, fertile soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline. If you are looking for a tree that is low in maintenance, and almost pest free then the Linden is for you. They have a naturally nice shape and rarely need to be pruned except for the odd wayward branch, which would be pruned in spring before the leaves break out. Because of their clean nature, they make an excellent shade tree to be planted along a patio or pool as they do not drop leaves or make a mess during the spring/summer months.

The two most common varieties that are grown in our area is the ‘Little leaf Linden’ and the ‘Big leaf Linden. Both have a heart shaped leaf but the Big leaf has a leaf that can grow up to 6 inches long and 4 inches wide and the little leaf is about 1/3 the size. Both are hardy for our area and will do well. I have a had a big leaf linden tree planted in my yard for over ten years and it has grown to be a beautiful shade tree that has never given me any problems.

-Jos 

Jos Van Hage owns three Art Knapp's garden Centres in Prince George
-Hart Highway
-Highway 97 south at the Old Cariboo Highway
-Highway 16 west

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