The small-leaved lime (little-leaf linden, small-leaved linden, Rus. lypa serdtsevidnaya) belongs to the genus Tilia in the Malvaceae family. It emerged about 70 million years ago, which is evidenced by the remains of the trees found in the Chukotka, the island of Spitsbergen, and the north of Siberia.
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Small-leaved lime
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The lime tree grows widely in Europe, as well as in the countries of Western Asia: Armenia, Georgia, Lebanon, Turkey, and others. It prefers mixed, broad-leaved, and coniferous forests. In Russia, lime trees mostly populate the area of Central Russia bordered by the southern and the western regions. It is believed that if a lime tree grows in a certain place, the soil in this place is fertile.
In the folklore, the lime tree is regarded as the Guardian of the Russian Land. For the ancient Slavs, it was one of the most revered trees: it symbolized femininity and tenderness. Many settlements, forests, mountains, and natural phenomena have been named after the lime tree. For example, in the Ukrainian language, the month of July is still called Lypen’ (derives from the word lypa meaning lime tree).
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The lime is a deciduous and long-living tree, and can grow up to 20-38 meters in height.
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Ivan Turgenev’s novel A Nest of the Gentry mentions lindens of a huge size:
’…It [the house] was all overgrown with high grass, burdock, gooseberry bushes and raspberry bushes, but in it there was much shade and many old lime trees, notable for their huge size and the strange pattern of their branches; they had been planted too close to each other and at some point – a hundred years ago or thereabouts – pruned’. [Translation by Michael Pursglove, Alma Books Ltd]
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The lime tree has a powerful trunk: it can grow to be three meters in diameter; its crown forms a large tent. The age of a tree can be identified by its bark: young lime trees have it dark, while the bark of the older ones is covered with small furrows. Linden leaves are heart-shaped: for this reason, the small-leaved lime got its Russian name lypa serdtsevidnaya – heart-shaped lime tree.
Small-leaved lime. Source: ru.wikipedia.org
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Linden emblem, Germany. Source: www.linden.de
The image of the lime tree is used in heraldry in different countries: Germany, Austria, Ukraine, and others. There is even a charge that has been given a distinctive name linden leaf cross: it represents a cross made with curved branches of the lime tree. Linden leaf images can also be found on medieval shields, accessories, and knight helmets. They symbolized the kindness and the Slavic origin of the warrior who was wearing them.
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In early June, the lime tree begins to bloom and immediately fills the air with a strong fragrance. The flowering lasts 15 days. If the weather is hot and dry, the blooming period shortens. Linden flowers are used as a fragrance in perfume production, and as an anti-inflammatory, soothing, and antipyretic substitute for tea.
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The lime tree is one of the best honey plants. Its fruit ripen from August to September. Linden honey is believed to be the most fragrant and best for health. In one day, bees can collect up to 10-14 kilograms of honey from a lime tree.
Linden wood is light, soft, and easy to process, which makes it a popular furniture manufacturing material. It is also good for tubs, troughs, and kitchenware carving. The byproducts are pulverized and fed to livestock as they are rich in starch.
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Kuzebai Gerd National Museum of the Republic of Udmurtia
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Lime
Dimensions
40x30 cm
Technique
Herbarisation
Collection
Exhibition
2
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