Description of Tilia Euchlora

Leaf: The leaves of the Crimean Linden are ovate (egg-shaped), about four inches at the widest point, with a heart-shaped base and teeth on the edges of the leaf.  They are smooth except for hair on the vein axils on the underside of the leaf.

Flower: Flowers are about 2 cm across, pale yellow, and with green bracts containing around seven flowers each.  Flowers of the Crimean Linden have five petals.

Bark: Bark of the Crimean Linden is gray.  It is fairly smooth, although the bark tends to develop cracks as it grows and ages.

Fruit: The Crimean Linden bears woody, grayish-green fruit, usually slightly over one centimeter long.

Twig: The twigs of the Crimean Linden are generally straight, with alternating buds. They are smooth and are light brown in color.

Form: The Linden grows up to 20 meters. It is tall and fairly thin with hanging lower branches. The branches start a third of the way up the tree. It is a deciduous tree. The branches form the shape of a broad column.

Spring Stages of the Tree's Yearly Cycle

From Buds to Leaves

Discussion of Tilia Euchlora

   The origin of the Crimean Linden is unknown, although it is thought to be a hybrid between Tilia dasystyla and Tilia cordata. It gets its name from the region in which it was thought to have been developed (Crimea), around 1860. Like most lime trees, it is a good timber. It is good because it has a straight grain making it easy to work with. The Crimean Linden does not suffer from aphid infestations which leads to a build up of black honey dew covered with fungi. The tilia trees aren't very popular. This is partly due to the fact that they have a narrow range of suitable environments. When they were introduced in Europe, often times the wrong species was introduced to the environment resulting in the tree responding poorly. 

Distinguishing Characteristics of Tilia Euchlora

   The Crimean Linden has hanging lower branches and deep green leaves. It has a broad column and usually grows to about 20 m high. It is a deciduous tree. Its leaves are very gloss on the top, have an unequally sided base, and have a very fine toothed margin, and hairy vein axils on the underside of the leaf. 

Distribution

    The Crimean Linden is found in the North Eastern United States and the Midwest.

Location

     We found the Tilia Euchlora on the North side of DCL on Stoughton Street.

References

Brockman, Frank. A Guide to Field Identification: Trees of North America. 1986, Western Publishing Company

Coombes, Allen J. Trees.1992, Kyodo Printing Co.

More, David & White, John. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees. 2002, Timber Press Inc. 

Watts, May Theilgaard. Tree Finder: A Manual for the Identification of Trees by Their Leaves. 1991, Nature Study Guild

Copyright Statement

Photography © 2003 Al Renner, Ben Sims, Farid Zaghloul, University Laboratory High School.