Summer linden tree

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Summer lime tree
Summer linden (Tilia platyphyllos) on the Fahrentriesch, Kellerwald-Edersee National Park

Summer linden ( Tilia platyphyllos ) on the Fahrentriesch, Kellerwald-Edersee National Park

Systematics
Eurosiden II
Order : Mallow-like (Malvales)
Family : Mallow family (Malvaceae)
Subfamily : Linden family (Tilioideae)
Genre : Linden ( Tilia )
Type : Summer lime tree
Scientific name
Tilia platyphyllos
Scop.

The summer lime tree ( Tilia platyphyllos ), botanical spelled with a hyphen -leaved lime , and Moreton Bay Linde ( Tilia grandifolia ) called, is a deciduous tree -Art from the genus of Linden ( Tilia ) in the family of mallow (Malvaceae). It was tree of the year in 1991 .

distribution

The summer linden tree is native to Central and Southern Europe, but is relatively rare in the wild. Due to its high budding force, it is able to prevail over other tree species on hillside locations rich in debris. It is therefore often found in sloping rubble forests and ravine forests . It is a character type of the Tilio- Acerion association , but also occurs in societies of the Fagion association . It is considered the tree of the middle mountain ranges. In the wild it develops a mighty crown, but is sensitive to late frosts. The summer linden tree usually rises up to 1000 m in the Northern Alps, and higher in the Southern Alps. In the Allgäu Alps in Bavaria, it climbs up to an altitude of 1450 meters on the sliding path in the Oytal in the form of a bush.

Of the linden trees indigenous to Central Europe , the summer linden is the most widespread species.

description

Large-leaved linden (summer linden), illustration
a. Branches
b: flower
c: stamens
d: pistil
e: fruits
f, g: seeds

The summer linden tree is a tree that can reach heights of up to 40 meters and a trunk circumference of over 9.0 meters. It has dark green and fine-cracked leaves . The treetop is high with fairly steep branches. As a young tree, the summer linden usually has a more hemispherical crown. The bark is cracked and peels off every year.

The young shoots are reddish-green and clearly hairy. The egg-shaped buds are dark red. The leaves are ovate to rounded and pointed, they are more or less heart-shaped at the oblique base. The leaf margin is serrated more or less sharp and notched. The leaves are dark green and hairy above, lighter below and, above all, densely hairy on the nerves. The size of the leaves is very variable, between 2 and 18 cm (length and width). The leaf sits on a hairy, 2 to 5 cm long stem.

The summer linden tree blooms in June, making it the earliest blooming linden species in Central Europe. The flowers hang in umbels usually 3 to 4 (sometimes up to 6). The flowers are about 12 mm in size with a whitish green bract . The small, spherical fruit ( nose sweep ) has five ribs, is densely hairy and is about 8 to 10 mm in size.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 82.

ecology

Linden trees often get very old (up to 1000 years), which many tree monuments in Germany show. The popular saying goes that linden trees "come three hundred years, stand three hundred years and three hundred years go by". Even ancient, hollow linden trees sometimes develop an astonishing vitality. The secret of their longevity are new inner roots that grow from the old trunk towards the ground, anchor themselves there and form a young crown when the old tree dies. The linden tree, so to speak, tapers from the inside out.

Systematics

One can distinguish several subspecies:

  • Tilia platyphyllos subsp. cordifolia (Better) CK Schneider
  • Tilia platyphyllos subsp. grandifolia (Ehrh.) Vollm. (Syn .: Tilia grandifolia Ehrh. )
  • Tilia platyphyllos subsp. platyphyllos
  • Tilia platyphyllos subsp. pseudorubra C.K. cutter

The subspecies Tilia platyphyllos subsp. caucasica is better compared to the Caucasian linden tree ( Tilia dasystyla Steven ).

Leaves of Tilia platyphyllos with horn gall of the linden gall mite (Eriophyes tiliae)
Habit of the summer linden tree
Tilia platyphyllos bud begins to open.
Court linden tree in Wetter-Amönau
Linden tree in Schenklengsfeld , Germany's oldest tree
Summer linden tree
Habit of the 700 year old summer linden tree in Hochneukirchen

use

The summer linden tree plays a subordinate role in forest cultures in Central Europe . However, it is often planted as a park and avenue tree. The flowers of the summer linden tree are a very good bee pasture in beekeeping because of the high sugar content of their nectar (up to 94%) and its high sugar value (up to 7.7 mg sugar / day per flower). Honey yields of around 0.8 kg per flowering season and tree are possible. The summer linden is one of the tree species with the best ability to shoot. The fast-growing tree species was used as undergrowth in middle forests . Despite its relatively low calorific value, their wood was therefore used as firewood.

Culinary

The young, still soft linden leaves are edible and, thanks to their extremely mild taste, are ideal for salads.

Herbal medicine

As a remedy, the linden blossom has long been used with good success. It is one of the most famous home remedies. Their effectiveness is proven by experience in home medicine , other effectiveness studies for the linden blossom itself are lacking. However, there are studies on its ingredients. It was not until the 17th century that the sweat-inducing effect of linden blossom tea, which is used as a remedy, was apparently discovered. In phytomedicine, efforts have long been made to research the mode of action of the substances contained in the linden tree. An extract of the spring linden has shown an inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase in pigs in vitro .

Use of the wood

The wood of the summer linden does not differ from the wood of the winter linden and the Dutch linden . When using wood, no distinction is therefore made between these types. The main use of linden wood is in sculpture , carving and turning . Especially the famous late Gothic works , such as by Tilman Riemenschneider or Veit Stoss , were often made of limewood. Today, however, the more easily obtainable wood of the Weymouths pine ( Pinus strobus ) is used for carving work.

Cultural meaning

The village linden, the dancing linden, the court linden

The articles linden (genus) and summer linden thematically overlap. Help me to better differentiate or merge the articles (→  instructions ) . To do this, take part in the relevant redundancy discussion . Please remove this module only after the redundancy has been completely processed and do not forget to include the relevant entry on the redundancy discussion page{{ Done | 1 = ~~~~}}to mark. SK ( discussion ) 05:20, 14 Jun. 2016 (CEST)

In many regions of Germany, the village center was once marked with summer linden trees. It was a place of announcement, a meeting place, and a court was held here. Still Elector Augustus of Saxony signed his ordinances with " If under the linden tree ". Well-known judicial linden trees are for example the Mahllinden near Oberdorla and the judicial linden (Mallinde) above Berka vd Hainich .

However, the festivals of the village also took place under the linden tree. In some places a dance floor was even set up high up between the branches of the linden tree. The side edging of the "Lindenzimmer" formed hollow parapets that were closed with guided linden shoots. The happy hustle and bustle then took place in the middle of the tree. The musicians also played up there. The Tanzlinden trees from Limmersdorf near Bayreuth , from Galenbeck in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Effeltrich have been preserved . Another former dance linden tree is that of Schenklengsfeld near Bad Hersfeld .

Another specialty are the so-called Apostellinden trees , in which twelve branches of a linden tree are artificially stretched and the broad branches are supported with oak or stone pillars. This creates a huge linden arbor. The best-known Apostelinde rises in Gehrden near Warburg and can be climbed via an iron spiral staircase. Another decorates the center of the village in Effeltrich , where the low, wide-spreading crown was supported by a two-row beam frame with 24 supports.

Old summer linden trees in the fields or in the forest often mark village desolations . For example, the Sambacher Linde west of Mühlhausen used to stand in the center of the hamlet of Tutterode .

In northern Germany , especially in Westphalia, summer linden trees were planted on the west side of the houses and pruned like a trellis parallel to the house year after year. This natural outer skin keeps the sun away from the house in summer and cools it, in autumn the leaves were cut off as lining or litter and the autumn and winter sun could warm the house.

The linden tree in religion

Linden trees are consecrated to the goddess Freya in the Germanic faith . Since Freya is considered the goddess of love , beauty and fertility , symbolic meanings (see below) and customs (village festivals used to be used to form couples ) can be traced back to it.

Similarly, oaks are considered to be dedicated to the god Thor .

The linden tree in symbolism

The linden tree is the symbol of conjugal love, kindness, hospitality and modesty. This symbolism is said to go back to Ovid's story of Philemon and Baucis , the old married couple who wanted nothing more than to die together so that neither of them would have to experience the death of the other. Zeus granted them this wish; when death came to them, he turned them both into trees : Philemon into an oak and Baucis into a linden.

The linden tree in literature

Bettina Brentano once wrote to her brother Clemens :

“The linden trees are in bloom, Clemente, and the evening wind shakes in their branches. Who am I to blow all your scents to me, you linden trees? Oh, say the linden trees, you walk so lonely between our trunks and embrace our trunks as if we were human beings, then we address you with our scent. "

The linden tree in music

The summer linden tree has also found its way into German folk songs . The first stanza of the well-known song Am Brunnen in front of the gate by Wilhelm Müller based on the melody by Franz Schubert reads:

At the well in front of the gate , there is a linden tree:
in its shadow I dream many a sweet dream;
I cut many a dear word into its bark;
I was always drawn to him in joy and sorrow.

In the first stanza of the well-known German folk song No beautiful country at this time , the linden tree is mentioned as a meeting point:

Not a pretty country at this time ,
as here, the uns're far and wide.
Where we can find ourselves
under linden trees in
the evening.

The linden tree in gastronomy

The most common name of the inn in Germany is "Zur Linde" with over 1000 mentions.

Cultivated forms

  • Aurea : The bark of the annual shoots is fresh, light green, which makes this shape very striking in winter.
  • Laciniata : This form grows to about 16 meters high. The leaves are smaller than the type (about 5 to 6 cm long). The leaf blade is deeply incised and often puckered.

Well-known summer linden trees

literature

  • Doris Laudert: The myth of the tree. History - Customs - 40 tree portraits. FSVO, Munich 2003.
  • Robert Bannan: The Linden Tree, Tilia Cordata . Homeopathy Verlag, Jost 1997.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ baum-des-jahres.de
  2. ↑ a b Erich Oberdorfer : Plant-sociological excursion flora for Germany and neighboring areas. 8th edition. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3131-5 , pp. 655-656.
  3. ↑ Ulrich Hecker: Trees and bushes. Munich 2006, p. 263.
  4. ↑ Erhard Dörr, Wolfgang Lippert : Flora of the Allgäu and its surroundings. Volume 2, IHW, Eching 2004, ISBN 3-930167-61-1 , p. 214.
  5. ↑ Bernd Ullrich, Uwe and Stefan Kühn: Our 500 oldest trees. BLV, Munich 2012, ISBN 978-3-8354-0957-6 , p. 13.
  6. ↑ Helmut Horn, Cord Lüllmann: The great honey book. 3rd edition, Kosmos, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-440-10838-4 , p. 31.
  7. ^ Josef Lipp et al .: Handbook of Apiculture. The honey. 3., rework. Edition, Ulmer, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-8001-7417-0 , p. 39.
  8. ↑ https://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Tilia+platyphyllos
  9. ↑ Petra Slanc, Bojan Doljak, Samo Kreft, Mojca Lunder, Damjan Janeš, Borut Štrukelj: Screening of selected food and medicinal plant extracts for pancreatic lipase inhibition . Phytotherapy Research 23 (2009), pp. 874-877. doi : 10.1002 / ptr.2718
  10. ↑ D. Grosser, W. Teetz: Linde . In: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Holz e. V. (Ed.): Local timber (loose-leaf collection) . No. 17 . Information service wood, wood sales fund - sales promotion fund of the German forest and wood industry, 1998, ISSN  0446-2114 .
  11. ↑ Badische-zeitung.de , November 26, 2010: The most common is the inn name "Zur Linde"

Web links

Commons : Summer linden ( Tilia platyphyllos )  - album with pictures, videos and audio files