Greenspire Linden Tree Update. 6.5.18

Greenspire Linden Today, 6.5.18

I planted this Greenspire Linden tree (Tilia cordata) Nov 4, 2012.   So it's been in this spot for 5 1/2 years.  Nice change.  It was one sided, so I planted so the "flat" side was to the south, expecting it would grow that direction and fill in.  It did.  I also removed a low branch on the North side, last year. 

I planted four Greenspire Linden trees in 2012.  They've all grown fast, into handsome, beautiful trees.  They bloom nicely, with fragrant linden flowers.   These were all end-of-season, on sale at Home Depot, root bound trees that I treated by cutting off all of the encircling roots, and loosening the roots and soil, before planting. 

When I planted these trees, I was doing beekeeping, which I subsequently gave up.  I had hoped for linden flower honey.  Despite no bees now, the trees are rewarding in and of themselves.  I love standing by these trees and looking up at how fast and strong they've grown, in such a short time.

Greenspire Linden when Planted.  11.4.12

Progress Report and Review. Linden Trees. 11.26.14

Image source:  floridata.com

When we bought the 2 acres in Battleground, there were few trees.  One of the first things I wanted to do was get some started.  We took possession Summer 2013, July.  Not a good time to plant trees.  I did anyway.  During fall and winter, 2013, I planted 4 Tilia cordata "Greenspire", and 1 Tilia america "Redmond."  The Greenspire trees were close-out end of summer at Home Depot.  Redmond was mail order from an Oregon nursery, bought and planted in Dec 2012.

I had some reasons to choose lindens.    There is some nostalgia.  There were lindens on my street, in my boyhood neighborhood.  My street was named for them.  Linden flowers are used in herbal teas (tisanes), and are fragrant.  Linden flowers are considered prime nectar sources for honeybees.  Given the trees are 3-dimensional, and can grow to very large size, they have potential for far more nectar than 2-dimensional use of land for perennials or annuals.  Lindens grow in a wide range of climates, so they have a chance for a long future, even with climate change.   Planting any tree is an act of defiance against the selfish destruction of environment in modern times.  But I also want the trees to have a chance to contribute in other ways, and be adaptable to potential evolution of local climate.

Ancient linden from commons.wikipedia.org

 From University of Florida Extension, '`Greenspire' ...grows 50-75 ft tall, spread 40-50 ft, ...normally seen 40-50 feet tall with a 35-40-foot-spread...faster growth rate than the species...dense pyramidal to oval crown which casts deep shade...prolific blooms...small fragrant flowers appearing in late June and into July. Many bees are attracted to the flowers..."

Redmond American linden has similar growth characteristics, but with wider spread and much larger leaves.  Redmond is also considered an excellent nectar and pollen source for honeybees.  For American lindens, " When flowering, the trees are full of bees, hence the name Bee-tree; this species is favored by bees over others and produces a strongly flavored honey."

Linden flowers from commons.wikipedia.org

I had bought the Greenspire trees on deep discount, end of season.   This is almost a worst-case scenario.  At end of season, the roots are wound around the pot, increasing risk for self-girdled, self-killed trees.  Cutting off the winding roots, which I did, leaves the top out of proportion to the roots but is necessary for good future root spread and to prevent girdling.    In summer and fall, it's hot and dry, risking killing the trees shortly after planting them.  I did water frequently, and mulched generously.

All 5 trees settled in without a hitch.  Last year growth was so-so, enough to know they were establishing, but not super-fast.  None bloomed the first year.  The second year, they all grew much faster, putting on about 2 to 3 feet of growth.  I did give them organic nitrogen boosts in winter and spring, which may be why.  I watered frequently the first summer, but only a few times in summer 2014.  That is important - I read Greenspire and Redmond do not tolerate drought well.  They did fine.  The second year, none of the Greenspire trees had flowers.  The Redomond linden had several flowers.  Not dramatic, but I got to see some bloom on my own tree.
On the issue of nitrogen supplementation, there's this:  "Basswood is classified as a nitrogen-demanding species because it grows poorly on sites deficient in nitrogen. With increasing nitrogen supplies, basswood growth increases markedly, approaching a maximum radial increment when 560 to 670 kg/ha (500 to 600 lb/acre) of nitrogen are added. Basswood leaves have high contents of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, and potassium at the time of leaf fall and they contribute most of these nutrients to the forest floor."  In my case, the added nitrogen was "pee cycling", with 2 liters, diluted to 2 gallons, and watered into the soil once in late fall and again in the spring.  From the same site, it is noted that basswood trees (Tilia americana) rate of growth is faster than other northern hardwood tree species.  That is important for me.  I want to see my trees grow.

Based on the first 2 years' experience with Greenspire and Redmond lindens, they settled in very well, had no summer or winter damage, and have made great starts.  Last winter, they tolerated the coldest winter conditions in local memory, without any damage at all.  If they continue to grow as well, I hope they will provide a little honeybee forage next year, and in the long run, will be my heritage as majestic trees for a future generation.


I haven't tried them yet, but basswood / linden leaves are edible for humans and animals, and reported as "tasty".  "Edible raw or cooked you can make a salad using the leaves as the main ingredient like lettuce. Cooked they lose flavor and shrink in size considerably....  the flowers are edible raw or cooked a tea can be made from them. Two tablespoons per cup."  The author notes that the leaves have a mild flavor, slightly sweet, and tender.  He eats them at a small size.  The author also notes that the cambium is tasty as well, with a cucmber flavor.  Which reminds me, I need to check on the trunks to make sure they all have protective hardware cloth sleeves.  I wonder why deer didn't eat the leaves. 

Greenspire Linden progress report. Two years old. 6.17.14

Tilia cordata "Greenspire" 2 years after planting.

Here is the Greenspire linden I planted in Sept 2012.  I'll also add a photo from the day it was planted, for comparison.

Greenspire Linden 8 Months Later

Planted Sept 8 2012

May 26 2013

Growing Nicely.  Some care, mulch, compost, and watering, and it looks like it's settled in.   Being May instead of September, everything is greener.

My Birthday Tree: Tilia cordata (little leaf Linden)

I'm not saying here when my birthday is. Not into that. Even so, this year I wanted to plant a tree to thank the Earth for atmosphere and nutrition, and pay it forward a little to the next generation. I did some research. Usually I would select a Ginkgo biloba. This time I went for something a little different for me, a Tilia cordata. T. cordata goes by the alternative name of Little Leaf Linden, as opposed to Big Leaf Lindens. In some parts of Europe it is called a Lime, although T. cordata is not a citrus, does not bear fruit, and is not related to limes. All images here are from wikimedia commons.

Fossil leaf, not Tilia cordata but still recognizable as a Linden leaf. The species, cordatarefers to the heart shaped leaf.  For a tree to be my birthday tree, a fossil leaf is a big plus.

Lindens are said to have edible leaves. I've never tasted one, and will wait for fresh spring leaves before trying. In addition, the flowers are highly fragrant, and attract bees who make a tasty famous Linden honey. The wood was used for making fiber, the term being Bast, resulting in Lindens being referred to as Basswood trees. That is what my Dad called Lindens. I think Basswood refers to the large leafed, American Linden.

Some Lindens live to a great old age, hundreds, even a thousand years. This is the Old Kasberger Lime tree, believed to be 1,000 years old. In decline, but at a thousand years, who wouldn't be? From wikimedia commons.  During the Middle Ages, communities met under large Linden trees, and there were trials and hangings.   Not so good, but not the tree's fault.

Lindens were widely used to line grand avenues in Europe, in the 17th and 18th centuries.  This was the old "Lindenallee" in Berlin. Still there, but newer trees, unter den Linden.

A poem, the Linden Tree (Der Lindenbaum), in translationby Walter A. Aue : The Linden Tree by Wilhelm Müller: * At wellside, past the ramparts, there stands a linden tree. While sleeping in its shadow, sweet dreams it sent to me. * And in its bark I chiseled my messages of love: My pleasures and my sorrows were welcomed from above. * Today I had to pass it, well in the depth of night - and still, in all the darkness, my eyes closed to its sight. * Its branches bent and rustled, as if they called to me: Come here, come here, companion, your haven I shall be! * The icy winds were blowing, straight in my face they ground. The hat tore off my forehead. I did not turn around. * Away I walked for hours whence stands the linden tree, and still I hear it whisp'ring: You'll find your peace with me!

Linden flower tea is used in some places as a remedy for respiratory ailments. I have no idea if it's a helpful remedy for anything, just that it is used.

Linden wood is finely grained, and was used for fine carving such as this one by Grinling Gibbons in the late 1600s - early 1700s.

Here is the Linden tree that I bought. I know this is not the best time of year. I'll post separately about the pros and cons of buying and planting trees now, but in the end it is what it is, and I hope it survives and grows. There weren't many choices - just this and one other. This was the taller of the two by far. Good price.

The top was forked. This is the only thing I pruned. Too high to reach, once planted. Easy with the tree laying down on the grass.  This small amount of corrective  pruning will prevent the tree from having narrow fork, which weakens the tree and makes it susceptible to splitting in the future.

Just some minor surgery. I kept the most vertical looking top. The fork was 3-way. I pruned of the smallest and the least vertical.

The roots wound around the tub a bit. Not as bad as I expected. There are two main approaches to keeping this size tree for sale. One is balled and burlapped, which are placed in tubs with compost. By this time of year, it's difficult to get the roots free of the burlap and compost. The other method is placing bare root trees in compost. That is what was done here.  This is a good reason to get trees in the spring, before roots have grown through the compost, but I think we will be OK with careful planting and thorough watering.

I removed as much of the compost as I could, without too much root damage, so the roots would be in the native soil, and not winding around in a hole that is filled with compost.

And here we are. Planted, post placed to keep the tree vertical in the wind, ready to be mulched, watered, and, I hope, given a good chance to settle in.  Digging the hole in dry soil was hard work.  Plus we have a lot of rocks.  Even so, it's therapeutic and a labor of love.  Few understand this.  It's puttering meditation, and sweat medication.  The sore back and achy hands are good sore and good achy.  I'm proud, and I hope my tree lives and grows and thrives.

After this photo, I did make a little levee from the removed sod, around the tree, watered thoroughly, and mulched with compost from the original container.  Before planting I had also filled the hole with water and let it drain into the surrounding soil, for reserve moisture.