Stephen Henning wrote:
"Dwight" wrote:

We were just in Austria and enjoyed the manuy fragrant linden blossoms in
early June.
Is this your basic "European Linden" so called?
We are interested in planting one in Seattle. Would it be a good fit?
Any special cautions about soils?

Hi Dwight,

We saw many Lindens in Russia last year. In fact Matryoshka Dolls are
carved from Linden. Linden is the same as Basswood. Decoy carvers and
many other wood carvers favor Basswood/Linden.

Our alien linden, the common linden is Tilia x europaea:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TIEU4

... which is a natural cross of Tilia cordata (littleleaf linden):
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TICO2

... and Tilia platyphyllos (largeleaf linden):
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TIPL

Our native linden, is American basswood:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=TIAM

In England they call them Lime trees though they are not related to
citrus in any way.

The common lindens in Europe a

Tilia cordata, small-leaved linden (leaves 1.5 to 3.25 inches in dia.)
Its native range is northern and central Europe.

Tilia platyphyllos, large-leaved linden (leaves 2.5 to 3.5 inches in
dia.) Its native range is central and southern Europe.

Tilia x eruopaea, common linden. Its native range is central Europe.

So what you saw could have been any of these three European lindens.
They favor alkaline soils.

Someone mentioned to me recently that there's a linden pest now in the
U.S.; anyone know anything about that? I'd been thinking of getting a
linden myself but this makes me pause.