Wikimedia Commons
Malvaceae
Linden
Tilia americana
Sweetness, peace, marital fidelity.
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Genus
- Tilia
- Native to
- North America (also European species widespread)
- Bloom season
- Early-Summer
- Type
- Tree
- Height
- 18–30 m (60–100 ft)
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–8
- Lifespan
- Very long-lived (200–400 years)
Did you know
- Linden trees produce so much nectar that the air around them literally hums in June—a single mature tree can support over 60,000 honeybee visits per day.
- Linden honey (from the European species Tilia cordata) is one of the world's most prized honeys, with a uniquely fresh, minty fragrance found in no other floral source.
- Linden tea (tilleul) is one of France's most beloved bedtime drinks—Marcel Proust's famous madeleine in 'Remembrance of Things Past' was dipped in linden tea, triggering his greatest memory.
- In Slavic mythology, the linden was the sacred tree of the goddess Lada and the symbol of love—Slavic villages were traditionally built around an ancient central linden where weddings took place.
- Linden wood is the lightest and easiest-to-carve of all hardwoods, used for centuries to carve church figures, marionettes, and Stradivari violin scrolls—Tilia means 'soft wood' in old Latin.
Color meanings
0
sweetness
1
peace
2
marital fidelity