Limes

Tilia species

Lime family (Tiliaceae)

Origin: Europe, Asia, North America

Description: Generally tall trees, with a domed crown with upwardly angled or arching main branches. Leaves alternate, generally heart-shaped, toothed and always hairy beneath but the hairs may be confined to the angles between the midrib and the main veins. Flower clusters very distinctive, pendulous with a long stalk attached for part of its length to a pale greenish, narrowly oblong bract. Flowers 5-petalled, white or yellowish and sweet-scented. Fruit a hard, ovoid to globose nut.

Comments: The flowers of Limes attract numerous bees. The trees also attract aphids and the leaves,as well as the ground and any objects such as cars beneath the trees, may become sticky with a sugar-rich substance (honeydew) produced by these insects.