Lime Tree: Photos, Facts and Description of the Linden

The lime tree (often called linden or basswood) is widespread across Eurasia, and it is loved by people just as much as the birch — especially when the lime tree is in bloom. The lime is a deciduous tree of temperate regions, valued for its fragrant blossom, its soft workable timber, and its role as one of the finest honey plants in the northern hemisphere. This page covers what the lime tree is, how to identify it, where it grows, how it flowers and reproduces, and the many ways its flowers, wood, and leaves are used.

The lime tree at a glance

The lime tree is a long-lived broadleaf species native to the temperate forests of Eurasia, reaching up to 32 metres in height and living for three to four centuries. The blossom shown in the second photograph is the feature most people recognise.

"Lime. A deciduous tree of temperate countries with heart-shaped, serrated leaves. Because of the softness of its wood it is not suited to construction. Various household items are made from lime: tableware, spoons and so on..."

Beyond spoons, tubs and washcloths, the lime tree is celebrated for its medicinal flowers, its value to bees, and its quiet contribution to soil health in the forests where it grows.

Botanical classification of the lime tree

The lime tree belongs to the genus Tilia, which botanists now place in the mallow family, Malvaceae (older classifications listed the limes in their own family, Tiliaceae). This is the point where common names cause confusion: the lime tree of Eurasia (Tilia) is completely unrelated to the citrus lime that produces edible green fruit. The fruit-bearing lime is a member of the Citrus genus in the family Rutaceae — a separate group of plants discussed further below. Naming conventions matter here, because "lime tree" can mean two entirely different plants depending on the country and context.

Species of lime and their features

Several species of lime grow across Eurasia, each suited to slightly different conditions. The most important for identification and use are:

• Small-leaved lime — the most cold-hardy of the broadleaf trees, reaching furthest north and the only such species to survive the harsh continental conditions of Western Siberia.
• Large-leaved lime — favours milder, richer sites and flowers slightly earlier.
• Common lime (Tilia x europaea) — a natural hybrid of the small-leaved and large-leaved limes, widely planted in parks and along avenues.

Description of the lime tree

The lime tree is a hardy, shade-tolerant broadleaf with a dense rounded crown, smooth grey bark when young that becomes ridged with age, and soft pale wood that is easy to carve. It is undemanding about climate but particular about soil, thriving best where the ground is reasonably fertile.

Height, lifespan and growth rate

The lime tree does not exceed the main forest species in size, reaching about 32 metres, and it lives for 300 to 400 years. It grows slowly, falling behind not only birch, aspen and larch, but even spruce, fir and oak. This slow, steady growth is part of why the timber is so fine-grained and even, making it a favourite for hand-carved utensils.

Shade tolerance and cold hardiness

The lime tree is exceptionally shade-tolerant, surpassing not only every deciduous species but most conifers as well.

Soil and climate requirements

The lime tree is unfussy about climate but sets fairly high demands on soil fertility. Foresters have long observed that where the lime grows, conifers prosper: such soil is merely tolerable for the lime but excellent for the conifers. In the southern forest-steppe the relationship reverses — where the lime appears, the soils are not in the best condition. Foresters welcome lime in the mix of species precisely because it improves soil structure and fertility, its leaf litter breaking down into a rich, easily decomposed humus.

How to identify a lime tree: leaves, bark and crown shape

You can recognise a lime tree by its distinctive heart-shaped, finely serrated leaves, its dense dome-like crown, and the papery wing-like bract attached to each cluster of flowers and fruit. The leaves are usually asymmetric at the base — one side meeting the stalk slightly higher than the other — a reliable field marker. The bark is grey and smooth on young trees, becoming furrowed with shallow ridges on older trunks. In summer the small round nut-like fruits hang beneath a single pale green bract that acts as a sail, helping the seeds disperse on the wind. Together these features separate the lime clearly from oak, elm and other broadleaf trees it grows alongside.

Flowering and reproduction of the lime tree

The lime tree flowers in early to midsummer, later than most other forest trees, producing clusters of small, pale yellow, intensely fragrant blossoms. Each flower cluster grows from the base of the characteristic ribbon-like bract, and the scent draws bees from a wide area. After pollination the flowers develop into small hard nutlets, which the wing-shaped bract carries away on the breeze. The lime also reproduces vegetatively with ease, sending up vigorous shoots from the stump and root collar, which is one reason ancient limes can survive coppicing and regrow for centuries.

The lime tree in bloom: photo and description

The blossom of the lime tree, shown here, is its most beloved feature — a froth of creamy flowers that fills the summer air with sweet fragrance.

Geographic distribution of the lime tree

The lime tree is found throughout the temperate zone of Eurasia, from Western Europe across to the continental forests of Western Siberia. Its range is defined largely by cold tolerance and soil: the small-leaved lime pushes furthest north and east, while the large-leaved and common lime favour the milder, richer conditions of central and western Europe. Across this range the lime is both a wild forest tree and a much-planted ornamental in parks, streets and avenues.

Beneficial qualities of the lime tree

The lime tree is prized for its medicinal flowers, its honey, its carving timber and its culinary uses. Few trees offer so many practical benefits at once, which is why it has been cultivated and protected by people for generations.

Medicinal properties of lime flowers

Lime flowers have long been used in folk medicine as a diaphoretic (sweat-inducing) remedy for colds and feverish illnesses. Brewed as an infusion, the dried blossom is taken to ease sore throats, calm coughs and promote restful sleep, and it remains a popular traditional herbal tea today. The flowers are harvested at peak bloom, dried in the shade to preserve their aromatic oils, and stored in airtight containers away from light.

The lime tree as a honey plant

The lime tree is one of the finest honey plants in the temperate world. Thanks to its abundant nectar and the bees that work it, we enjoy fragrant tea sweetened with wonderful lime honey — a pale, aromatic honey regarded as among the best in the world and one of the reasons beekeepers value lime woodlands so highly.

Uses of lime wood

Lime wood is soft, pale, fine-grained and free of strong figure, which makes it the classic material for hand carving and turning. Because it cuts cleanly in any direction without splitting, woodworkers use it for spoons, bowls, tubs, kitchen utensils, toys, model-making and ornamental carving. The bast — the fibrous inner bark — was traditionally stripped to make matting, ropes and the bast shoes once worn across rural Eurasia. Its lightness and stability also make it a favourite for musical instrument parts and blockwork.

Culinary uses of the lime tree

The lime tree contributes more to the kitchen than honey alone. The young spring leaves are tender and mild and can be added to salads, while the dried flowers are infused as a soothing herbal tea. In times of scarcity the ground seeds and flowers were even mixed into a paste resembling chocolate. The blossom syrup and lime-flower tea remain the most common culinary uses today, valued as much for their honeyed fragrance as for their gentle calming effect.

Lime versus the citrus lime: clearing up the confusion

The Eurasian lime tree should not be confused with the citrus lime, an entirely different plant grown for its tart green fruit. The citrus lime belongs to the Citrus genus in the family Rutaceae and is native to warm regions of Asia, now grown commercially in Mexico, Brazil, Iran, Spain and other warm climates. Where the Eurasian lime is a towering forest tree prized for blossom and timber, the citrus lime is a small, frost-tender evergreen valued in cooking and drinks. Popular citrus lime varieties include:

• Persian lime (also sold as Tahiti lime or Bearss Lime) — the common seedless supermarket lime.
• Key lime — small, aromatic and famously used in pies.
• Kaffir lime — grown chiefly for its fragrant leaves in Southeast Asian cooking.
• Caviar lime (finger lime) — prized for its bead-like pulp.
• Rangpur lime — a tart citrus hybrid grown on the Rangpur Lime Tree.

Unlike the lemon, the citrus lime is generally smaller, rounder and harvested while still green, with a sharper, more floral acidity. Both are rich in vitamin C, and the peel of organic limes — grown without synthetic pesticides — is safe to zest into food and drinks. Gardeners in cool climates such as the UK often grow citrus limes, lemons, oranges and satsumas in pots and containers so the trees can be moved indoors over winter; a feed such as Plantura Liquid Citrus Food and a bright, sheltered position help them fruit. Nurseries like Monrovia and pinboards on Pinterest are common sources of inspiration for backyard fruit-tree and container-citrus ideas, alongside other potted favourites like the Loquat Tree.

Lime tree photo gallery

The photographs on this page show the lime tree in different seasons — the heart-shaped foliage, the grey ridged bark, and above all the lime in full bloom. The blossom is the most photographed feature, equally at home in botanical illustration and in garden and landscape photography, where the lime's broad, even crown makes it a favourite for avenues and parkland design.