Common Lime, Larged Leaved Lime, Small Leaved Lime Tilia x vulgaris, Tilia platyphyllos and Tilia cordata
The Common Lime is widely found in parks and towns. Lime wood does not easily splinter and therefore is used for bowls and morris dancing sticks!
Conservation status in Norfolk
Hybrid lines are widely planted. Small-leaved limes are an indicator of ancient woodland.
How to help
Plant a tree! The Royal Horticultural Society has given the small-leaved lime an Award of Garden Merit. However, be warned this tree is attractive to aphids, which in tern produce sticky honeydew which may drip down to the ground causing a sticky mass.
Wildstock
Information on the Common Lime, Larged Leaved Lime, Small Leaved Lime
How to recognise
In the winter the distinctive red, zigag twigs and the unusual alternating buds make the lime quite easy to identify. The buds are made up of two scales, one larger than the other. From April the leaves are heart-shaped, with toothed edges and a sharp point on the end, and if you look at the base of the leaf you may notice that they are not even. The bark is a smooth purplish grey colour.
Where to see
The hybrid of the small leaved and large leaved lime, the common lime, is commonly found in parks and gardens such as Houghton Hall and the Bayfield Estate. The small leaved lime has a natural distribution in England, Wales and Southern Scotland, whereas the large leaved lime has a more restricted distribution and in Norfolk it is scarce with any trees probably originating from planting. NWT Foxley Wood, the biggest ancient woodland in Norfolk is worth a visit to see small-leaved lime.
When to see
Leaves unfurl in April, turning gold in the autumn before falling. Lime flowers, forming clusters on an end of a stalk with a distinctive oblong bract at the base, open in May
Did you know?
Many limes have dense, twiggy outgrowths around their trunks giving them an unusual appearance. The flowers of this tree are suppose to produce excellent honey, and are extremely attractive to bees
Related questions
There are no questions regarding this species, perhaps you should ask us one?