The most common tree in Russia small-leaved linden, or heart-shaped. The trunk is slender, up to 30 m in height, with a spreading dense crown. The bark is dark, sometimes almost black; on young branches it is dark gray.
Leaves alternate on long cuttings, heart-shaped, with a pointed apex, smooth above, dark green, grayish green below, with tufts of brownish hairs at the corners of the veins, with paired pink stipules that fall in the spring.
Flowers are small, yellowish-white and creamy-yellow, collected in inflorescences of 5 - 15 pieces, with a light yellow or greenish-yellow bract of an oblong-lanceolate shape with a rounded apex, the bract hangs down from the middle of the base of the inflorescence, like a sail. The leaves appear in May, flowering begins from late June to July and usually lasts about two weeks. At this time, the surrounding air is filled with a subtle honey aroma.
Linden fruits They are round small single-seeded nuts with leathery pericarps.
Growing linden in deciduous and mixed forests, usually in the form of an admixture, in some places forms linden groves. In city parks, linden is considered one of the best ornamental trees.
Collection and drying
Linden blossom is harvested when most of the flowers have bloomed and the smaller ones are still in buds. The inflorescences are torn off by hand along with the bracts or small branches are cut off with pruning shears. abundant flowers. Then, in a shaded place, the flowers are picked and dried in a well-ventilated room at a temperature not exceeding 25...30°C. Drying in the sun is unacceptable, since under the influence of direct sun rays flowers change color, bracts turn red. Dried inflorescences consist of 5...15 light yellow or yellow flowers; open flowers should predominate, but buds and single immature fruits may occur. The bracts are light or yellow-green. The smell is aromatic, the taste is sweetish, slightly astringent. Packed Linden blossom in boxes and jars with tightly sealed lids. Store in a dry place for up to 2 years.
Composition of linden
Linden blossom is a valuable medicinal raw material, which contains sugars, essential oils (0.05%), tannins, glycosides hesperidin and tiliacin, vitamin C, carotene, and saponins.
Application and beneficial properties of linden
Linden tea is one of the most common home remedies for colds: a tablespoon of linden flowers is brewed in a glass of boiling water, and the infusion is kept under a napkin for 20 minutes before drinking. The infusion should be golden in color, with pleasant taste and aroma. To sweat well, you need to drink at least two glasses, and even better, add an equal amount of dried raspberries to the linden blossom, which also contains a strong diaphoretic substance - salicylic acid.
Linden infusions help treat sore throat, relieve headache. Herbal healers give linden decoctions to children as an analgesic and sedative for mumps and measles, and to adults for nervous diseases and convulsions. It is recommended to drink the decoction hot (a tablespoon of flowers in a glass of water, boil for 10 minutes). For more effective action You can drink 2...3 glasses of hot broth before going to bed.
The inflorescences and stipules contain mucus. When brewed lime tea After infusion and cooling, a gelatinous viscous mass is formed, which is used in the form of lotions to treat burns, ulcers, hemorrhoids, joint inflammation, gout and rheumatism. For the same purpose, young bark is used, the fibers of which are especially rich in mucus.
Decoctions of linden leaves are taken to remove sand during pain in the urethra. Compresses with decoction relieve headaches.
Coal obtained by burning wood, due to its adsorption properties, is taken orally for dysentery, bloating and diarrhea (in some areas, by distilling water vapor from wood infusion, a disinfectant liquid was obtained, which was sprayed into rooms where infectious patients lay).
Modern pharmacology suggests that linden inflorescences are caused by a complex biologically active substances. Herbal preparations in the form of infusions and decoctions of linden blossom, in addition to their diaphoretic effect, increase the secretion of gastric juice and facilitate the flow of bile into the duodenum. In addition, linden inflorescences have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system, therefore, their infusions are recommended to be taken as a sedative for increased nervous excitability. Extract from inflorescences is used for mild digestive and metabolic disorders.
In pharmacies, linden blossom is sold in packs of 100 g and in the form of briquettes (a slice of briquette is brewed in a glass of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes, filtered and drunk like tea);
Young leaves can be used for food and added to spring salads, increasing their vitamin content. During the war, linden leaves were added to soups and mashed potatoes; Having crushed the leaves into powder, mixed them with a small amount of flour and baked flat cakes from this mixture.
Fruit are the raw material for the production of fatty oil, characterized by a light yellow color and a faint linden-blossom odor. Linden oil is considered one of the best as a confectionery fat, and the cake left after pressing the oil is used as livestock feed.
In addition to small-leaved linden, large-leaved linden is widely cultivated in city gardens and parks.
Contraindications to the use of linden blossom and tea
Linden blossom decoctions should be drunk with short breaks and in reasonable quantities, otherwise vision may deteriorate greatly, quite unexpectedly and quite quickly. But this does not mean that you can go blind if you drink linden tea every day. It's about about very long-term use, without measure and without breaks, which, in addition to weakening vision, can provoke insomnia, irritability, increased blood pressure, pain in the heart. Drink tea for a few days, one cup at a time, take a break for a week - and everything will be fine.
Family: mallow, or linden (Tiliaceae).
Motherland
In nature, linden grows in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere; plants are widespread in the zone of deciduous and mixed forests in North America, Europe, and Asia. The genus "Linden" has about 40 species.
Form: deciduous tree.
Description
Linden trees are large deciduous trees with a height of 20 to 40 m, which are widely used in modern green construction. All types of linden trees have a beautiful, thick, easily moldable crown (the diameter of the linden crown is from 2 to 5 m). Linden leaves are simple, alternate, heart-shaped, sharply toothed along the edge and pointed. In addition to their decorative qualities linden trees are valued for their abundant, fragrant, yellow flowers, collected in corymbose inflorescences; Linden fruits are single-seeded nuts. Linden flowers usually bloom in July. Linden flowers have a number of healing properties. Root system linden is powerful, deep. Plants are durable and resilient. In addition, linden is a honey plant; Linden honey is considered one of the best. The plants are notable for the fact that they belong to soil-improving species - linden leaves containing a large number of calcium, after falling they saturate the soil with nutrients.
Small-leaved linden , or linden heart-shaped (T. cordata). Tree 20 to 30 m tall and 10 to 15 m wide. The crown of small-leaved linden is initially conical, later ovoid. The main branches of the plant grow diagonally or vertically, side shoots bend and hang down at the bottom of the crown. The leaves are heart-shaped, dark green on top, sometimes shiny, bluish on the back. In autumn, the leaves of the heart-shaped linden take on a beautiful light yellow color.
Japanese linden (T. japonica). Tree up to 20 m tall. Japanese linden is different abundant flowering, later than in other linden species. It is better to plant the plant on south side plot.
(T. platyphyllos). Tree 30 to 35 m tall and 15 to 20 m wide. The crown of the large-leaved linden is initially conical or broadly ovoid, later rounded. The main branches are vertical, the side shoots are horizontal. The leaves of the large-leaved linden bloom two weeks later than those of the small-leaved linden, but begin to bloom two weeks earlier. The flowers are yellowish-cream, collected in inflorescences of 2-5 pieces.
Amur linden (T. amurensis). A slender tree from 25 to 30 m tall with an oval compact dense crown. The bark of young plants is smooth, brownish-red; in adults it is dark gray, with longitudinal cracks. The leaves are heart-shaped, sharp-toothed, up to 7 cm long. The flowers are pale cream or yellowish, collected in inflorescences of 5-15 pieces, and have a strong aroma.
Linden
(T. vulgaris). A natural hybrid of small-leaved linden and large-leaved linden. Common linden is a slender tree up to 40 m tall with a wide pyramidal crown. Blooms in July.
Manchurian linden (T. mandshurica). Very beautiful and plentiful Blooming tree up to 20 m high. Crown correct form. Very similar to Amur linden, but more different large leaves and flowers.
American linden , or black linden (T. americana). Tree up to 40 m tall with a broadly ovate crown and dark, almost black bark. The bark of the American linden is almost black. The leaves are broadly oval, up to 20 cm long, heart-shaped and toothed at the base. The flowers are large (up to 1.5 cm in diameter), collected in inflorescences of 6-15 pieces. Black linden inflorescences are drooping. It grows relatively slowly. Heat-loving species.
(T. caucasica). Tree up to 40 m tall with a rounded or broadly ovate crown. Young shoots of Caucasian linden are purple-red. The leaves are large (up to 14 cm long), broadly oval. The upper side of the leaves is dark green, the back side is bluish, with tufts of whitish hairs near the veins. Drooping inflorescences with light yellow flowers. Flowering is abundant.
Linden (T. europaea). Tree 25 to 40 m tall and 10 to 15 m wide with a broadly ovate crown. The leaves are rounded-ovate with a heart-shaped base. Blooms for 10-17 days. The European linden grows quickly.
Siberian linden (T. sibirica). Tree up to 25 m tall. The growth rate of Siberian linden is average.
Felt linden , or silver linden (T. tomentosa). A slender tree up to 30 m tall, with silvery foliage and a regular, wide-pyramidal or oval crown. Home distinctive feature Tomentose linden leaves are: round, up to 12 cm long, dark green on top, slightly fluffy at the beginning of development, whitish-tomentose on the underside, on tomentose-pubescent petioles. In bright sunlight the edges of the leaf curl up to show the silvery underside.
Growing conditions
The linden tree is one of the most shade-tolerant, so the plants can be planted in shaded areas of the garden. Linden trees prefer fertile, good substrates; As a rule, they do not tolerate salinity and develop better on soils containing lime (from to ). The linden root system is sensitive to compaction. In general, growing linden does not cause much trouble, since the plants are frost-resistant, shade-tolerant, and quickly adapt.
Application
Linden will always look impressive on summer cottage. Linden trees are used in group, mixed, alley plantings, and to create hedges (small-leaved linden or cordate linden are best suited for creating). Different types Linden trees go well with many plants; they look beautiful with deciduous trees such as oak, beech, mackerel and others.
Care
Linden is a plant that does not require special care. Trees may suffer from drought, so in hot weather dry summer they need to be watered. During the first two years after planting, it is recommended to feed linden seedlings with nitrogen fertilizers.
Reproduction
Linden reproduces both by seeds and vegetatively (,). For planting in hedges, linden trees are best propagated by layering. Planting linden in hedges can be lined, wavy, or in a checkerboard pattern.
You can buy linden seedlings and linden seeds at. Linden seedlings can also be ordered online.
Diseases and pests
Linden is a resistant plant; rarely affected by diseases and pests. Linden diseases can be caused by unfavorable growing conditions.
Popular varieties
Varieties of small-leaved linden
‘Erecta’. Tree average size from 15 to 18 m high and from 5 to 10 m wide. The crown of small-leaved linden ‘Erecta’ is initially broadly columnar, gradually becoming ovoid. Branches grow diagonally or vertically. The ‘Erecta’ variety is smaller and narrower than the species form of the plant. Linden leaves ‘Erecta’ are bluish underneath.
'Greenspire'. A fast-growing tree of medium size, up to 15-18 m tall and from 6 to 12 m wide. The crown is dense, compact, conical, later becoming broadly ovoid. The leaves of linden 'Greenspire' are small, round-ovate, shiny, bluish below.
'Rancho'. A slow growing tree, 9 to 12 m tall and 4 to 6 m wide. The crown is initially narrow-ovoid, later conical, symmetrical, and compact. The branches of the linden variety ‘Rancho’ grow vertically. The leaves of Linden 'Rancho' are small, round-ovate, shiny.
Variety of felt or silver linden'Brabant'. Tree up to 20-25 m tall and 12 to 15 m wide with vertically growing branches. The crown of the linden 'Brabant' is initially compact and cone-shaped, later becoming wider.
Linden variety 'Pallida'. Powerful, fast-growing tree up to 30-40 m tall and 10 to 15 m wide with a conical crown. Linden 'Pallida' branches grow diagonally upward, side shoots grow horizontally or vertically. In autumn the shoots turn red. The leaves of linden ‘Pallida’ are large, bloom early and stay on the plant for a long time.
Large-leaved linden variety 'Rubra'. A very graceful tree up to 30-40 m tall and up to 20 m wide with a wide-conical or ovoid crown. In winter, the shoots of linden 'Rubra' turn coral red.
Linden flowers - FloresTiliae
Small-leaved linden (heart-shaped) - Tilia cordata Mill.
Broadleaf linden (large-leaved) - Tilia platyphyllos Scop.
Sempropertylinden - Tiliaceae
Other names:
- lutoshka
- washcloth
- lubnyak
Botanical characteristics. Both species are large, durable trees up to 30 m high with a spreading crown. Young branches are covered with smooth, old ones with deeply cracked gray-black bark. The leaves are rounded-heart-shaped, slightly unequal, with a serrated edge, long-petiolate, dark green, with a long-pointed apex, paired reddish stipules, falling early in the spring. On the underside of the leaves, in the corners of the veins, there are tufts of hairs. The flowers are fragrant with bracts, light yellow in color, collected in semi-umbrellas. The fruit is a single-seeded nut. It blooms in July, the fruits ripen in October. Large-leaved linden blooms 1-2 weeks earlier. Both species have distinctive features.
Spreading. The cordate linden occupies a large area. It grows in the deciduous forest zone of the European part of the country, reaching the Urals. Large areas The heart-shaped linden occupies Bashkortostan; there is quite a lot of it in the Middle Volga region. It moves north a little further than oak, as it is less demanding on soils. Found in Crimea and the Caucasus. Large-leaved linden grows wild in the Carpathians. In the north it is found in the undergrowth. Both types of linden are widely cultivated in gardens and parks. On Far East, in Moldova and Transcarpathia other types of linden grow.
Features various types linden trees
Plant name | Diagnostic signs |
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inflorescences | hair coloring |
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Small-leaved linden - Tilia cordata Mill. | The number of flowers in the inflorescence is from 5 to 11. The peduncle is fused with the midrib of the bract in its lower half. | Smooth, bare nuts | |
Large-leaved linden - Tilia platyphyllos Scop. | The number of flowers in the inflorescence is from 2 to 5. The peduncle is fused with the midrib in the upper third of the bract. | Large, with strongly prominent ribs, covered with hairs | White (the entire surface is slightly hairy) |
Habitat. On drained, fertile soils.
Harvesting, primary processing and drying. The procurement of raw materials should be carried out during the flowering phase, when most of the flowers have bloomed and the rest are still in buds. Raw materials collected at a later date, when some of the flowers have already faded, turn brown when dried, crumble heavily and become unsuitable for consumption. Typically, the collection of raw materials lasts about 10 days.
Using pruning shears or knives, 20-30 cm long linden branches with abundant flowers are cut off, and then in the shade the flowers are picked off along with the bracts. It is forbidden to cut down or break large branches, which leads to a weakening of their flowering in subsequent years. Inflorescences damaged by rust or leaf beetle should not be collected.
Flowers are dried in attics, less often under awnings or in a room with good ventilation, spread in a thin layer (3-5 cm) on paper or fabric. It can also be dried in dryers at a temperature of 40-50°C. You cannot dry it in the sun, as this leads to a change in the color of the raw material.
Standardization. The quality of raw materials is regulated by the State Fund XI.
Security measures. It is prohibited to cut branches and collect flowers from trees located near the apiary.
External signs. According to GOST and State Fund XI, the raw material consists of inflorescences with a bract leaf of an elongated lanceolate shape with a blunt tip, about 6 cm long, with a solid edge, light green in color. The flowers are light yellow, collected in semi-umbrellas; Large-leaved linden has 3-9 flowers and small-leaved linden has 5-15. The smell of raw materials is weak. The taste is mucous, slightly astringent.
External signs.Whole raw materials. These are corymbose inflorescences, consisting of 5-15 (in cordate linden) or 2-9 (in broadleaf linden) flowers on peduncles sitting on a common peduncle, fused in the lower part with the main vein of the bract. The bracts are membranous, up to 6 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide, oblong-elliptical in shape with a blunt apex. The color of the petals is whitish-yellow, the sepals are greenish-gray, and the bracts are light yellow. The smell is weak, aromatic. The taste is sweetish with a mucous sensation.
Crushed raw materials. Mixture of flowers, pedicels and bracts various shapes, ranging in size from 0.5 to 20 mm.
Microscopy. On the surface of the bract leaf, sepals and corolla there are capitate hairs with a multicellular head on a short 1-3-cell stalk and stellate-radiate hairs consisting of 3-7 long sinuous cells fused at the bases. In addition, at the base of the sepals there are long straight hairs, consisting of two parallel cells, and on the petals there are forked hairs of two tortuous cells, fused at the bases. Drusen are found in the mesophyll of the indicated parts of the inflorescence and flower.
Qualitative reactions. When the crushed raw material is wetted with water after 3-5 minutes, its particles become covered with mucus; when wetted with a 5% ammonia solution, an intense yellow color appears (flavonoids).
Numerical indicators.Whole raw materials. Humidity no more than 13%; inflorescences with bracts and individual bracts damaged by pests and affected by rust, no more than 2%; other parts of linden no more than 1%; completely faded inflorescences, with fruits of no more than 2%; browned and darkened parts of inflorescences no more than 4%; crushed particles passing through a sieve with holes with a diameter of 3 mm, no more than 3%; scree of individual flowers or inflorescences without bracts no more than 15%; organic impurities - no more than 0.3%, mineral - no more than 0.1%.
Crushed raw materials. Humidity no more than 13%; browned and darkened parts of inflorescences no more than 4%; other parts of linden (pieces of leaves and shoots) no more than 1%; crushed particles larger than 20 mm in size no more than 5%; crushed particles passing through a sieve with holes measuring 0.310 mm no more than 10%; organic impurity no more than 0.3%; mineral impurity no more than 0.1%.
Chemical composition. Linden flowers contain essential oil (about 0.05%), which includes the sesquiterpene alcohol farnesol ( main component essential oil, the presence of which determines the smell of fresh raw materials); polysaccharides (7-10%), including galactose, glucose, rhamnose, arabinose, xylose and galacturonic acid. In addition, triterpene saponins, flavonoids in an amount of 4-5% (hesperidin, quercetin and kaempferol), ascorbic acid and carotene were isolated from the flowers. Linden leaves contain a lot of protein, ascorbic acid (131 mg%) and carotene. The fruit contains about 60% fatty oil. Therapeutic effect linden is due to the complex of biologically active substances of the plant.
Storage. In a dark, dry room. In pharmacies - in closed boxes, in warehouses - in bales. The raw material is easily crushed, so care should be taken during storage. Shelf life: 2 years.
Pharmacological properties. Infusions of linden flowers have an anti-inflammatory effect due to bioflavonoids, delaying mainly the exudative phase of inflammation. various models aseptic inflammation, contribute to earlier delimitation of the inflammatory process from the surrounding tissue. Accelerate the processes of regeneration and organization of granulation tissue, which is associated with the stimulating effect of flavonoids on collagen tissue; have antiseptic properties: they have an antipyretic and diaphoretic effect, promoting the release of sodium chloride from the body through sweat; give an antispasmodic effect, lower blood pressure; have a sedative effect; increase diuresis, secretion of gastric juice and bile.
Medicines. Linden flowers, briquettes, infusion, diaphoretic, consisting of a mixture equal parts linden and raspberry fruits.
Application. WITH medical purpose Linden flowers, known as "linden blossom", are used. Medicinal properties Lindens are associated with quercetin and kaempferol. Infusions and decoctions of linden inflorescences are used as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory agent for influenza, colds and respiratory diseases, bronchitis, infectious diseases in children, neuralgia, cystitis, etc.
Linden blossom is used instead of tea for brewing in the form of a hot infusion for hypertension, vascular crises, and menopausal disorders. This drink promotes profuse sweating, release of chlorides, lowers blood pressure, and has a calming effect. Linden infusion is used to rinse the oropharynx during acute and chronic inflammatory processes in it. In the form of poultices and lotions, infusions of linden blossom are used for neuritis, neuralgia, burns, ulcers, joint diseases, and hemorrhoids. An infusion of linden flowers is used for rinsing for stomatitis and gingivitis. Edible oil is obtained from linden fruits, which taste like nuts.
To prepare an infusion of linden flowers, pour 2 tablespoons of crushed flowers into 2 cups of boiling water and leave for 20-30 minutes. The decoction is prepared at the rate of 3-4 tablespoons of crushed flowers per 2 glasses of water. Boil in a water bath for 10 minutes, filter. Take 1/3 cup 2-3 times a day.
The linden tree has 45 species. The average lifespan of a tree is 500 years. It's big deciduous tree, which became famous for the aroma of its flowers and healing properties linden honey.
Genus: Linden
Family: Malvaceae
Class: Dicotyledons
Order: Malvaceae
Department: Flowers
Kingdom: Plants
Domain: Eukaryotes
Linden description:
The linden tree can reach a height of up to 30 meters. The crown of the tree is wide and oval. The trunk is straight and strong. The root system is quite powerful. The leaves are shaped like a heart. WITH outside the leaf has a more saturated green color, and on the other side the leaf is lighter. The edges of the leaf are jagged. When the leaves bloom, there are stipules that fall off quite quickly. And nectar glands may very often be present at the base of the leaf.
When does linden bloom?
Linden begins to bloom around June-July and flowering lasts about 2 weeks. All this time there is a presence around the trees pleasant aroma that fills the air.
The flowers of the tree are collected in groups of 2 or more, forming umbrella-shaped inflorescences. Flowers have light yellow color. The inflorescences emerge from a bract leaf, which is very different from ordinary leaves. Flowers have a very nice smell, which can spread over quite a long distance. Linden is one of the most important honey plants. Linden honey is highly valued and considered one of the best varieties.
Where does linden grow?
The linden tree is most common in the temperate and subtropical zones in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Loves warmth and moisture. The tree is quite hardy and is widely used in landscaping towns and cities.
Linden fruits
Linden fruits are nut-shaped. At first they are light in color and then become dark in color. They are the size of a pea. They fall in a whole bunch at once. Each such cluster has a special leaf, which spins when it falls and helps the seeds fly as far as possible from the tree to give life to a new plant.
Linden propagation
Linden can reproduce in several ways. First of all, seeds, as well as seedlings, shoots and stem cuttings. The ideal soil composition for a linden tree is 1 part turf soil and 2 parts sand with humus.
To propagate linden by stem layering, you need to lower the lower branches down and dig them into small trenches for 1-2 years. When the branches take root, they are separated from the tree and carefully transplanted into Right place. This needs to be done in early spring before the first buds appear.
The most the easy way Reproduction is propagation by shoots or root layering. The linden itself produces such layerings. All that remains is to carefully disconnect them and transplant them to the right place.
It takes years for linden trees to propagate from seeds. The first step is to place the seeds in sawdust or damp sand for 5-6 months in a cold place. At the same time, do not forget to moisten the sand or sawdust. This process is called stratification. It is for this reason that linden seeds do not germinate next spring after falling to the ground. They do not have time to undergo stratification. And only after a year they are able to germinate. In the spring, when the seeds germinate, they are planted in the soil. The strongest of them germinate and turn into seedlings.
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Linden - main honey plant middle zone: recognized as the queen, Aphrodite of the forest nectar bribe, this truly unique plant is called.
“Let all the spring bribes change (willows, gardens, etc.), it’s not scary even if the meadows yield little: the linden tree will bloom and cover all sins"- wrote A.S. Butkevich, the author of numerous publications on beekeeping, a successful practitioner who kept a large productive apiary in the Tula province.
As a honey plant, it really has no equal in the domestic flora; it produces the most valuable, fragrant honey. It produces honey better on fertile and permeable soil in an open location.
Linden heart-shaped or Small-leaved linden(genus Linden of the Malvaceae family) is a deciduous tree, 20-38 m tall, with a tent-shaped crown, widespread in Europe and Western Asia.
The bark is dark and furrowed on old trees.
The leaves are alternate, heart-shaped, long-petiolate, toothed, with an elongated, pointed apex, green above, bluish below.
The flowers are regular with numerous stamens, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, yellowish-white, fragrant, collected in 3-11 pieces in corymbose inflorescences with a yellowish-green stipule. The pollen color is light yellow-green.
It blooms from the beginning of July for 10-15 days. Nectar-bearing tissue located on the inner part of the bases of the sepals secretes 5-10 mg of nectar.
The fruit is a spherical, pubescent, thin-walled, one- or two-seeded nut. The fruits ripen in August-September.
Large-leaved linden- a deciduous tree of the Linden genus of the Malvaceae family. Large-leaved linden naturally grows in the forests of western Ukraine, Moldova, the Caucasus, Western, Central and Southern Europe. In central Russia and Belarus it is bred in gardens and parks.
Tree up to 40 m tall, with a dense, wide-pyramidal crown, with reddish-brown, fluffy, less often bare young shoots.
The buds are reddish-brown, glabrous.
Leaves up to 14 cm, rounded-ovate, dark green above, glabrous, paler below, with tufts of light hairs at the corners of the veins, on petioles 2-6 cm long. The leaves bloom two weeks later than those of the small-leaved linden.
The flowers are yellowish-cream, larger than those of small-leaved linden, but there are fewer of them in the inflorescence (2-5), blooms two weeks earlier than small-leaved linden, in early June. One large-leaved linden flower produces 11.54 mg of nectar.
Honey productivity is 800-900 kg/ha; up to 90-100 kg of pollen can be collected from a hectare of linden.
In order for bees to collect nectar from linden flowers, certain weather: Warm and important weather. This is when sweet liquid is released.
The use of large-leaved linden is promising for beekeeping not only from the point of view of increasing nectar reserves, but also increasing the duration of the honeybee.
Honey productivity linden plantations reach 800-1000 kg/ha. During flowering in places where it grows massively, bee colonies collect up to 10-14 kg of honey per day. In terms of taste and healing qualities, linden honey has long been considered the best.
The range of gifts offered by linden to humans is quite impressive:
— Fresh air, during flowering filled with an extraordinary honey aroma,
- improved soil,
- excellent construction wood,
- excellent ornamental wood, suitable for making household utensils and souvenir crafts,
- bast, unique for various crafts,
- obedient and useful bast,
- healing linden blossom (flowers and bracts) is used in medicine, in the perfume industry, in the production of cognacs and liqueurs, as well as tea substitute,
- as a honey plant, linden has no equal in the domestic flora,
- the most valuable, fragrant honey,
— young leaves and blossoming buds are eaten in the spring, salads are prepared from them, and they are pickled.
- finally, the beauty of the tree itself.
In addition, linden feels confident in artificially created shelterbelts - it does not care about rain, drought or winds.
Linden is an excellent park tree, which has long been used to create alleys and groves, and over the last century it has also acquired leadership in the landscaping of our cities. Linden was one of the few woody plants, which are able to withstand city noise and smog, as well as artificial night lighting harmful to plants.
By its nature, linden is a long-lived tree. On European territory average term her life is about 400-600 years. In wild forests, some specimens live up to 1100-1200 years!
IN natural conditions linden, pushing aside other species, is developing new lands along the floodplains of rivers, gradually moving north: its natural plantings have already appeared in the Arkhangelsk region and even in the forests of Norway and Finland.
In areas favorable for its growth, linden thrives in a wide variety of species communities, getting along with the long-lived oak and with conifers intolerant of many species. At any opportunity, she does not give up leadership and can create continuous massifs on hundreds and thousands of hectares. The share of linden in mixed forests can reach more than 60%.
Linden, the main honey plant in the middle zone, has been greatly displaced by humans in European territories; it maintains its position on millions of hectares of land in the Volga region, some regions of Siberia and the Far Eastern Primorye. The famous 19th century geographer N.I. Rychkov, describing his impressions of visiting Bashkiria, noted that “... in Bashkiria there are many such farms that one Bashkir has thousands of two or more boards, from which they receive significant income" One can only envy the beekeepers of the 19th century...