Linden tree widely distributed throughout Eurasia. It is loved by people as well as birch. Especially the linden in bloom. On the second a photo we see this tree.
The old explanatory dictionary of the Russian language, edited by Professor D. N. Ushakov, gives the following description of the linden tree:
"Linden. Deciduous tree of temperate countries with heart-shaped serrated leaves. Due to the softness of its wood, it is not suitable for a construction site. Various household items are made from linden: dishes, spoons, etc. ... "
What else is this tree famous for, besides the fact that spoons, tubs, washcloths are made from its wood?
Description of the linden tree
Linden is very and excels in this not only hardwoods, but also most conifers.
Small-leaved linden is the most cold-resistant of the so-called broad-leaved species. The farthest climbs to the north and their only representative in harsh continental conditions Western Siberia. As we can see, the tree is unpretentious. But linden has rather high requirements for soil fertility.
Foresters noticed that where linden grows, conifers thrive. For linden, such soil is tolerable, and for conifers it is excellent. In the south, in the forest-steppe, the opposite is true: where there is linden, the soil is not in the best condition. Arborists desire the presence of linden in the composition of the rocks, since it improves soil structure and fertility.
Useful qualities of linden
What else useful qualities Linden has? Linden flowers have long been used by the people as a diaphoretic for colds. In the photo we see the color of linden.
Linden is a honey plant. Thanks to her and the bees we drink fragrant tea with a wonderful linden honey.
Wood species
Depending on what you want to do, use one or another type of wood.
First of all, you need to determine whether the bar you have chosen belongs to conifers or hardwoods. Conifers have a sharper, resinous smell. In addition, the macrostructure of such wood species is better distinguished than that of deciduous ones. Coniferous wood species include pine, larch, fir, spruce, cedar.
- Coniferous wood
- Hardwood
- Wood fruit trees
- Wood rare breeds
- Pine
- Cedar
- Fir
Spruce- the second most important and used coniferous breed. Compared to pine, spruce is inferior to it in many ways. First of all, it is caused large quantity knots in wood. Yes, and processing it lends itself to a little worse. There is a little less resin in spruce wood, which affects its poor resistance to atmospheric phenomena.
Cedar, or Siberian pine, on building qualities not inferior to spruce, and sometimes even surpasses it. Cedar wood is very easy to work with, but at the same time, like spruce, it is not resistant to decay.
Fir, in terms of its working qualities, is not much different from spruce: it is easy to process and practically does not perceive chemicals. Just like spruce wood, it contains little resin, which is why the wood quickly rots in the open air without special treatment.
Hardwood Hardwoods are divided into hardwoods and softwoods. The wood of such species practically does not smell, and the smell intensifies only with a fresh cut of the wood and its processing. The most commonly used hardwoods are oak, birch and ash. The most common among softwoods are aspen and alder.
Hardwood:
- Ash
- Birch
- Elm, birch bark, elm
- Nut
- Aspen
- Poplar
- Alder
- Linden
Beech also applies to hardwoods. In terms of its qualities, it practically does not concede to oak. Just as good as oak, it can be processed, bent and impregnated with various chemical solutions. This quality contributes to the durability of the varnish and paint coating. But due to the fact that beech strongly warps when dried, is prone to decay with the formation of wormholes, it is little used in the manufacture of furniture.
Ash most often used in the manufacture of furniture, veneer and parquet. Such wide application ash wood is primarily due to the qualities of its wood: strong, viscous, durable, resistant to decay, with a beautiful textured pattern, which warps a little during shrinkage and bends well when steamed.
Birch used slightly less frequently than ash. First of all, this is due to low resistance to decay, high shrinkage and susceptibility to warping. But birch wood itself lends itself well to processing, making it possible to make small relief carvings. In addition, birch wood is well impregnated chemicals, perfectly holds a varnish covering.
Elm, birch bark, elm represent the same breed. Among the main qualities that this breed possesses are: density, strength, viscosity and low porosity. During shrinkage, the wood practically does not warp and does not crack. In addition, after steaming, the wood can be bent as you wish. But because of its dense and finely porous structure, wood is difficult to polish, poorly planed and painted.
Nut has beautiful wood and intended for finishing works. It is well processed, can be polished and impregnated with chemicals. heavy and durable wood walnut is not susceptible to warping and rotting.
Aspen has soft wood, in which there are few knots. Aspen lends itself well to processing, but due to its porous structure small parts can break almost during their manufacture.
Poplar also applies to softwoods. Beautiful small details and products are obtained from such wood. But poplar is prone to decay, warps and cracks when it dries out.
Alder of all softwoods, it is most often used in the construction of houses and in the manufacture of furniture. Alder practically does not rot, and therefore it is often used in the construction of log cabins for wells. It is also well used in the construction of pantries - it does not smell and does not absorb smell.
Linden among all softwoods, it is valued in the manufacture of large carved furniture parts. In addition, this is one of the few types of wood that does not warp or crack during shrinkage. Linden has a strong structure, which is not very susceptible to decay.
fruit tree wood
Among the rare species that are used in joinery and carpentry, the wood of fruit trees occupies a large place. Mostly wood from wild trees is used here.
Fruit wood:
- Pear
- Apple tree
- Plum
Apple tree belongs to a number of the most beautiful and durable types of wood. But after drying, the tree warps and dries out very much, so it is preferable to work only with a well-dried apple tree. Just like a pear, it is used for furniture finishing, making household utensils and jewelry.
Plum, like the apple tree, is very susceptible to cracking and warping during drying. Hard and durable wood with many multi-colored veins is perfectly pricked and polished. Most often it goes to the manufacture of jewelry and to the relief decoration of furniture. Turned utensils made of plum wood are also highly valued.
Rare wood
Above, we examined those types of wood that grow with us. But in Russia, imported breeds are also very popular, which are most often used to make furniture and jewelry.
Rare wood:
- Red tree
- Ebony
- Eucalyptus
- Furnambuc
- rosewood
- satin tree
Ebony brought to us from Madagascar, Ceylon, the island of St. Mauritius. Although the wood cracks and splits well during shrinkage, ebony considered the most expensive. Its wood is dense, uniform, black in color. Wood with inconspicuous layers of growth rings and vessels is highly valued. Wood with whitish interlayers and macrostructures and cores that stand out against the background of wood is least valued. Wood practically does not rot, does not warp during shrinkage, perfectly absorbs varnish. The only thing that is not allowed to be done with ebony is polishing: from this appearance only gets worse.
Eucalyptus has a strong, heavy wood that is practically indestructible. This property is explained great content in its structure essential oils, which act in the same way as the resin in pine wood. Eucalyptus belongs to a small number tree species that are difficult to process. Most often, the basis of furniture is made from eucalyptus, then it is decorated with inserts from other species or pasted over with mahogany or ebony veneer.
Furnambuc used in the manufacture of mosaics. The most expensive are violin bows and conductor's sticks made from this tree. During storage, fernambuque can change color from yellow with an orange tint to dark cherry or even black. Its wood practically does not rot and, when dry, does not warp. But a tree that has just been cut down dries out, cracks and changes shape. In terms of severity in processing, it is second only to eucalyptus.
rosewood, like most breeds, is imported into Russia from South America. Rosewood wood has a porous structure and a dense arrangement of fine fibers. The peculiarity of this breed is its color, which, depending on the predominance of any shade, changes from light purple to dark brown with a purple tint. Like fernambuque, it can change color over time. If the wood has not been polished at the end of the work, then the color of the wood can become almost black. The wood itself is perfectly processed, not subject to decay. Most often, furniture and all kinds of decorations are made from rosewood.
satin tree is rare among us, and therefore it is highly valued. AT Russia is coming only for the manufacture of mosaic inserts and decorations. The wood of this breed can have a yellow, red and brown tint. But regardless of the color of the wood, it always has the smallest sparkles, which, when varnished, give the finished product a satin sheen and gloss of a soft flowing fabric.
wood structure
By making a cross section, you can most clearly see the structure of the wood. Each bar of unhewn wood has a bark - this is the skin of a tree that is not used in work, it must be removed.
Under the bark is a tree growth zone, which is practically invisible to the naked eye. On a fresh saw cut from a growing tree, this cambium layer is very well represented. After you remove the bark, you will see a thin layer of wet greenish tissue - this will be the cambium. Behind the cambium is the actual wood with growth rings.
The wood is also called sapwood. In the center of each tree there is a core, which may merge in color with sapwood or have more dark color. Depending on this, sapwood species are divided, where the core does not have a pronounced structure and the cells are located as densely as in sapwood, and heartwood, where, accordingly, the core is clearly distinguishable. Sometimes sapwood is called coreless.
Heartwood includes all conifers (pine, cedar, spruce, yew, larch) and some hardwoods, such as oak, ash, poplar.
Most hardwoods are sapwood, or non-core: birch, hornbeam, alder, maple, hornbeam.
In addition to the microstructure of wood, which includes the density of the arrangement of wood cells, the macrostructure of wood, represented by annual rings and heart-shaped vessels, affects the creation of a composition and the possibility of using one or another bar in work. The macrostructure also includes the presence of various knots, growths and undeveloped shoots-eyes, which deflect the growth rings and form various twists.
Wood, where annual rings, horizontal and vertical vessels are most clearly distinguishable, seems to be the most interesting for processing. Almost all conifers - hornbeam, oak, elm, beech - have such wood.
Wood defects When working with wood, you should not only pay attention to the location of the fibers. First of all, carefully inspect the bar you have chosen from all sides. The wood with which you are going to work should be not only durable, but also “healthy” - uniform in color, without admixture of quite interesting and unusual colors, without traces of damage by wood grinder worms, and also without traces of rotting that has begun. If your bar has at least one of these signs, then immediately put it aside, otherwise you can get enough of everything during work, and at the end of the work you will not get enough satisfaction from the work done. Yes, and work can simply come to naught.
Do not use wood affected by fungus. It can be clearly seen even with the naked eye by changing the color of the wood and by splitting the wood fibers at the site of the lesion. The color of wood affected by the fungus can vary from cream and brown to bluish and greenish. The rest of the wood will retain the usual color.
Greenish coating that appeared on separate sections wood, indicates that the wood has begun to rot. Mold infects wood only from the outside, therefore, if you clean the surface with a knife or planer in a timely manner, then the board or bar can still be saved, and then, after drying it, can be used in work.
color rot not as harmless as sound. It affects the wood from the inside, destroying its structure and making it impossible to use it. Wood can be absolutely healthy, but still unusable. Defects can be different. Some of them can completely exclude wood from use, others only limit the possibilities for processing.
The most common defect is the presence of knots. But there are two types of knots. Some of them are firmly grown together with wood and are removed from the array only when the entire area is removed. Others separate from the wood easily. It is here that there is a high probability that during drying finished product it can fall out and ruin the whole picture.
You can close up such a hole using a wedge-shaped plug, which is driven in instead of a knot. In addition, during long-term storage of wood as a building material, knots darken first. The only exceptions are some conifers.
The presence of tars in coniferous and water layers in hardwoods can also be attributed to the category of wood defects. So it is customary to call the places of accumulation of tree sap in the massif of wood. When finishing, you will have to pump out the resin from this place and treat it with a special solution. But it is better if you place the part on the bar so that the pocket is either inside the part or outside it.
Among the defects of wood, which must be taken into account when working, more space occupies such a defect as the presence of cracks. They are formed in the massif of wood during the growth of the tree trunk. Cracks can be different.
frosty cracks can divide the entire trunk into two parts. The cracks themselves go from the outer edge inward and form only in winter during severe frosts.
Compensation cracks occur only inside the trunk, while a gap is formed between the growth rings. The reason for the formation of such cracks is a large stress inside the trunk during the period of increased growth.
Metic cracks, like frosty ones, can divide the trunk into two parts. The difference between them is that the frosty ones go from the outer edge to the center, and the metic ones go from the base of the trunk to the top.
Cracks during shrinkage can also form in wood without visible defects. Such cracks go from the center of the trunk to outside across the annual rings.
Also, the defects of wood include the presence of a slope of the fibers. Such a defect can be both natural and mechanical. In any case, thin narrow blanks made of such wood warp very strongly during shrinkage.
At conifers wood, the most common defect is roll. This is a natural defect that occurs when the trunk is compressed during the growth period. Wood fibers in this area are located close to each other, which significantly increases the time of impregnation of wood with antiseptics and chemical dyes. But such wood is very durable and weather resistant, so it can be adapted for upholstery. front door at the cottage or in the apartment.
The presence of growth in wood in itself is harmless, but can create great difficulties after shrinkage. Such a defect occurs when a tree trunk is cut during growth. The resulting wound gradually overgrows, but the annual rings begin to grow differently.
Shrinkage of wood
Various wood defects during work can be avoided by one way or another placing the drawing on the prepared workpiece. But in any case, you need to take only well-dried wood for work, otherwise there is a possibility that after a long and hard work all your efforts will be in vain, in other words, it will crack and warp.
Therefore, before starting work, dry the workpiece well. But you should not immediately saw off pieces from raw wood that will not be needed later. The wood will not dry out any faster. In this case, you can simply ruin the bar - after all, during shrinkage, the fibers are compressed in different directions in different ways.
The smallest change in the size of the bar will occur in the direction of fiber growth. The bar will become even smaller across the growth of the fibers, i.e. in the radial section. Most of all, the bar dries out in the tangential direction.
All tree species can be divided into 3 categories according to their ability to shrink in size during drying: strongly drying out, moderately drying out and slightly drying out. The first category includes such species as oak, linden, elm, alder, beech, maple and many others. The second category includes: willow, aspen, poplar, pine. Only spruce and larch change their dimensions a little during shrinkage.
Drying wood requires a lot of patience. Can't put right away raw wood to a strong heat source. First of all, after bringing the boards home, hold them for a few days for glazed loggia and only then bring it into the room. If your loggia is not glazed, then put them in the pantry or in the corridor, where the temperature is always a little lower than in the living room, and even more so in the kitchen. Only in these few days, try to keep the workpieces away from the draft. Yes, and direct sunlight should also be avoided on the loggia so that one part of the workpiece has dried and darkened in the sun, and the other is still damp.
Lubricate slightly dried boards from the ends with garden pitch or PVA glue. Precious wood blanks must be lubricated not only from the ends, but also from the sides, so that cracks do not form during drying. The same rule should be followed when drying the wood of fruit trees. The PVA layer can be replaced with plain paper, which is glued to the sides of the bar on a starch paste.
Lay the bars and boards prepared in this way near the battery central heating or near a fireplace or heater. The boards will constantly need to be turned over and ensure that the temperature in the room is the same, without significant differences. But drafts should also be avoided, otherwise the likelihood of cracks increases.
Depending on the size of the blanks you have chosen, the drying time may vary. Thick and long boards naturally dry much longer than thin and short ones.
If you dry the boards not indoors, but under open air, then you must make a canopy that would protect the wood from direct sunlight and precipitation. The ground under the boards must be carefully leveled so that the boards do not bend during storage and drying. Lay a layer of roofing paper on the ground, then put a few bars so that air can penetrate under them.
Trees are considered long-lived plants. Many live up to 5 thousand years. Main distinguishing feature trees is a pronounced lignified trunk.
Trees can be divided according to the variety of leaves into two groups: deciduous and coniferous.
Coniferous plants growing in our strip are evergreen, with the exception of larch, which is a deciduous plant. Conifers are gymnosperms. They are pollinated by the wind, which carries the seeds over great distances. In our country, the most common species are spruce, pine, fir, larch.
Cedar
One of the most beautiful coniferous trees – Siberian cedar, which is widespread in Siberia. Due to its beauty, it is used for landscaping cities. In addition, its seeds, which, by the way, are incorrectly called nuts, are edible.
One more coniferous plant who can be proud of their beautiful crown- spruce. This tree is shade loving. Spruce seeds ripen in the year of its flowering in mid-autumn.
Fir
Fir differs from other conifers in its bark, which is thin and smooth, as well as cones that grow upwards. Cones ripen in autumn, but unlike other conifers, they do not fall off, but crumble, leaving rods on the branches.
Larch, as mentioned above, is a deciduous plant that changes needles every year. This tree, more than others, is adapted to life in the city. Larch loves set, resistant to winter frosts and grows quite rapidly. European wood and Siberian larch has good technical properties, waterproof.
Cypress - Thuja
To conifers woody plants also include cypress and thuja, which are ornamental plants and are often bred in parks.
Hardwoods are angiosperms. Everything growing in our country blooms, bears fruit, sheds leaves for the winter. They propagate by seeds, cuttings, offspring of roots.
Oak
Most valuable deciduous tree- oak. Oak blossoms in spring, and by September its fruits - acorns - ripen. For reproduction, the collected acorns are stored in special rooms; if certain storage conditions are not observed, their germination is lost. Oak has great importance for forestry, its wood is strong, beautiful and durable. Many types of oak are bred as ornamental plants. For many nations, this is a sacred tree, which is a symbol of masculinity.
Linden
The next family, quite numerous, are lindens. Linden blossoms in the middle of summer. Due to its good adaptability to urban conditions, it is used for planting greenery in cities. Linden is used as a source of raw materials for medicines. Linden flowers are used in the preparation of decoctions for the treatment of colds. The tar of their linden wood is used to treat eczema.
Maple
The maple genus has 150 species. Maple reproduces with its fruits, which ripen in late summer. Often this tree is used as an ornamental. Some species are planted as hedges in summer cottages. In addition, maples are excellent honey plants.
Birch
Birch. This is a well-known tree, sung in poems and songs, with bark white color. At the birch, leaves and flowers bloom at the same time, the fruits ripen at the end of summer. This tree is frost tolerant, loves light and grows fast. Its wood is used to make crafts, toys, and plywood. It was believed that the birch fulfills wishes, it was dressed up and made with requests.
Aspen
Another deciduous tree that is a relative of poplar is aspen. This is a very common plant that reproduces quickly. Its roots spread widely and quickly give rise to shoots. When I cut down coniferous forests, aspen appears in their place. It is frost-resistant and fast-growing, but demanding on the soil (does not like marshy and soils with a lot of sand). It is a favorite food for many animals in our forests. It is eaten by hares, beavers, ungulates.
Linden is a deciduous tree with simple, alternate heart-shaped leaves, sharp-toothed along the edge, with a notched, asymmetrical base and a pointed top. The flowers are fragrant, bisexual, correct. The fruit is a one-seeded nut.
All types of lindens have a beautiful, dense crown, easily moldable. addition to the wonderful decorative qualities which they possess serve plentifully, fragrant flowers. Well adapted to growing conditions, resistant to pests and diseases, all this makes them indispensable in decorative plantings. Linden is one of the most shade-tolerant breeds.
Lindens are large shady trees that are fragrant during flowering and "buzz" from numerous bees. Linden gives the most abundant bribes compared to other honey plants. And linden honey has long been considered one of the best.
Linden American or black - Tilia americana L.
The homeland of the American linden is the eastern part of North America.
Linden American reaches a height of up to forty meters. A tree with dark, almost black bark, with a broadly ovoid crown, bare, green shoots. The leaves are broadly oval, up to twenty centimeters long, pointed at the top, heart-shaped at the base, sharp-toothed. Abundant flowering occurs in the second half of July. The fruits are spherical nuts, without ribs. It grows relatively slowly, shade-tolerant, undemanding to soil conditions, tolerates drought well, and is quite frost-resistant.
An extremely ornamental linden, distinguished from others by large leaves and flowers collected in small inflorescences with a long bract. Looks good in alley and single plantings.
It has several decorative forms:
vine (f. ampelophylla) - with large lobed leaves;
large-leaved (f. macrophylla) - with very large leaves, more than 20 cm long;
pyramidal (f. fastigiata) - with a narrow pyramidal crown.
European linden - Tilia europaea L.
Distributed in Western Europe.
Beautiful, highly decorative tree with a tent-shaped crown, up to 40 m tall; rounded-ovate leaves with a heart-shaped base, dark green above, glabrous and whitish-gray below. Blooms for 10 - 17 days. The fruits are nuts with well-defined ribs. Winter-hardy.
Has a number of decorative forms:
vine (f.vitifolia) - with large 2 - 3-top, unequally toothed leaves;
split-leaved (f.laciniata) - having leaves of various shapes, from palmate to pinnate.
Both forms are winter-hardy. Very effective in single landings on an open lawn.
European linden has a variety "Wratislaviensis". Its young leaves are golden yellow, then turn green. This is luxurious tree, whose young growths create the effect of a golden halo around the crown.
Felt or silver linden - Tilia tomentosa Moench.
Wildly grows in the forests of the southwestern part of Ukraine, the southeastern part Western Europe, the Balkans and Asia Minor.
One of the most decorative lindens. Felt or silver linden can have a height of up to thirty meters. A tree with beautiful silvery foliage and a remarkably regular, naturally wide pyramidal or oval crown. Looks great in an alley, single-row street planting, in groups and singly. The leaves of this linden are noteworthy, rounded, up to twelve centimeters, dark green above, slightly fluffy at the beginning of development, whitish-felt on the underside, on felt-pubescent petioles, with bright sunlight the edges of the sheet are folded over, revealing a silvery, underside. During this period, the linden is fabulously beautiful. It blooms later than small-leaved linden, in the second half of July for ten days. The flowers are very fragrant.
It grows quite slowly. Shade-tolerant, more thermophilic, tolerates city conditions well, is highly drought-resistant, and is not damaged by insects. Very valuable breed for the southern regions of Russia, where other types of linden grow poorly.
"Brabants". Slow-growing tree up to 20 m tall with a dense narrow crown. The leaves are dark green above, snow-white below, felted, on pubescent petioles. Thanks to this contrast, it looks very beautiful, especially when the silvery underside of the leaf is visible, for example in windy weather. Leaves are yellow in autumn. Flowers yellow, fragrant.
Linden ordinary - Tilia x vulgaris Hayne = Tilia x intermedia
Natural hybrid of small-leaved linden and large-leaved linden (T. cordata x T. platyphyllos). In many respects it is similar to the first one, but it blooms two weeks earlier than it, grows faster, is frost-resistant, tolerates urban conditions well, cuts and forms well. Larger foliage and dense broad-pyramidal crown give it decorative look. Deserves the widest distribution in landscape gardening, for landscaping streets, boulevards, alleys and group plantings.
Abroad, especially in Germany, one of the hybrids is popular - common linden "Pallida" (T. x intermedia "Pallida"). It is valued for its regular, wide-pyramidal crown and very straight trunk. Sometimes this linden is called "imperial". The plant is winter-hardy in the conditions of central Russia.
Lindens are one of the main species widely used in green building in gardens, parks and forest parks. Spectacular in the alley, ordinary street plantings and single. Perfectly combined with red oak, swamp oak, beech, mountain ash, liquidambar, maples, ash trees, skumpia, etc.
Small-leaved or heart-shaped linden - Tilia cordata Mill.
It grows wildly throughout almost the entire European part of Russia, in Western Siberia, the Crimea and the Caucasus, in Western Europe.
Small-leaved linden can have a height of up to thirty meters. A tree with a compact oval crown and a slender cylindrical trunk. The upper branches of the crown are usually directed upwards, the middle branches are almost horizontal, the lower ones, especially in edge trees, hang down. Leaves up to b cm, heart-shaped, with a retracted apex, dark green above, glabrous, sometimes shiny, bluish on the underside, on petioles up to 3 cm long; in autumn they take on a beautiful light yellow color. The flowers are small, yellowish-white, fragrant, 5-7 in inflorescences, with a characteristic light green bract. Flowering lasts 12 - 17 days. The fruits are spherical or oval nuts without ribs.
It is distinguished by high shade tolerance, high frost resistance, is sensitive to drought, and is moderately demanding to soil conditions. Withstands excellent crown molding and is one of the most important tree species most widely used in regular style gardens and parks. Suitable for making hedges. Durable, lives up to 400 years or more.
Large-leaved linden - Tilia platyphyllos Scop.
Naturally grows in the forests of the western part of Ukraine, in the Caucasus, in Central and Southern Europe. Very widespread in culture.
Large-leaved linden reaches a height of forty meters. A tree with a dense, broad-pyramidal crown, with reddish-brown, fluffy, rarely bare, young shoots. Leaves up to fourteen centimeters, round-ovate, green, hairy above, with tufts of hairs in the corners of the veins - below, on petioles 2 - 6 cm long. The leaves bloom two weeks later than the small-leaved linden. The flowers are yellowish-cream, larger, but in smaller numbers in the inflorescence (2 - 5), blooms two weeks earlier than small-leaved linden. The fruit is an almost spherical, ribbed, felt-pubescent nutlet with a thick shell.
Grows relatively fast. Winter-hardy for the Moscow region. You can plant from the latitude of St. Petersburg and to the south. More demanding on soil fertility, tolerates drought better than linden small-leaved, stable and more durable in urban environments.
The tree has a wide tent-shaped crown up to 30 meters high. The life expectancy of a linden is on average about 150 years, but there are also centenarians with an age of 1200 years. The plant has a straight trunk, reaching up to 5 meters in diameter, covered with gray fissured bark.
Linden blossoms in June, filling the space around it with a pleasant aroma. It begins to bear fruit in August in the form of round nuts in a dense shell. The plant is frost-resistant and withstands frosts down to -40 degrees. The heart-shaped linden is widespread almost throughout Europe, partly South-East Asia, middle lane Russia, and European linden grows only in Europe. The heart-shaped linden is a part of mixed broad-leaved and coniferous-broad-leaved forests. Selects well-drained, structured soils with sufficient moisture. Linden reproduces with the help of seeds. It is susceptible to some diseases and has a number of pests - a bug-soldier, a silver hole, gypsy moth, bark beetles, woodcutters, etc.
Linden is an excellent honey plant, and lime honey has long been valued because of its excellent palatability, pleasant aroma and its healing properties. During flowering, a bee colony in one day is able to collect up to 5 kg of honey from one tree, and 1 ha of linden plantations can produce up to 1.5 tons of sweet and useful product. Linden honey is useful for various colds, in turn, it was used for skin diseases.
AT traditional medicine all parts of this tree are used: flowers, leaves and wood. Wood charcoal was used by our ancestors for the rapid healing of wounds, as well as in the treatment of pain in the stomach. Infusions and decoctions were used for burns and as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. Decoctions and infusions of the flowers of this plant have an excellent diaphoretic and were indispensable for colds.
Linden occupies its rightful place in modern medicine. Linden flowers and bracts are popularly used as a diaphoretic, and infusions from them are used for inflammation of the mouth, throat and sore throat. Linden flower tea treats colds, flu, pneumonia (pneumonia). Infusions can be used (together with flowers) in the form of compresses and lotions. In case of disorders of the nervous system, it is recommended to take baths with the addition of a decoction of linden. In addition, linden tea has a diuretic effect and is used in the treatment of urolithiasis, cystitis, pyelonephritis and hypertension.
Linden, as a medicinal raw material, is harvested from spring to late autumn. In the spring, buds are harvested, and during the blooming of leaves - buds with leaves. Harvested raw materials are dried under a canopy or with the help of dryers. The shelf life of such medicinal raw materials is about 2 years.
Linden bark being harvested in early spring, before the start of sap flow, or in late autumn. It is dried and then ground into powder and can be stored in this form for 2 years.
Flowers, together with unblown buds, are harvested, of course, during the flowering period. Collection is made within 10-14 days in dry weather. It is not recommended to harvest wet raw materials, since during the drying process it will change its color from pleasant golden to dark unpleasant. The flowers are dried under a canopy for 5 days. Therefore, the dried raw material has a pleasant appearance and aroma. Can be used within 2 years.
In the old days they said: "The pine feeds, the linden shoes." The remarkable qualities of linden bark and wood formed the basis for its widespread use. Freshly harvested wood or bark was very soft, and therefore they sewed bast shoes from it, made ropes, and various boxes. Linden wood was used even in military affairs: quivers for arrows were woven from lime bast, protective shields were made. After drying, the wood and bark of the linden tree became very hard. Knowing this, our ancestors made from it kitchen utensils: cups, ladles, lids. In addition, the wood of this tree was used for the manufacture of toys, souvenirs, sleighs, carved architraves. Baths and all kinds of accessories for it were built from it: brooms, ladles, vats for water. People who visited the bathhouse drank mead and linden tea from linden cups and tubs. Linden wood is unique in its properties. It is lightweight and very easy to handle. In addition, barns were made from it, since rodents do not like linden wood.
Linden has a powerful and, at the same time, soft energy: and the ancient Slavs considered this tree sacred. She was personified with the goddess of love Lada, who brought happiness and beauty. Her energy is able to save people from depression and charge them life energy create a sense of inner peace.
In the old days, village estates were literally planted with lindens. They were almost everywhere: in gardens, in parks, entire alleys were formed from them. In the village of Mikhailovsky, a linden alley is still preserved, the same linden alley is located in Yasnaya Polyana, where Leo Tolstoy liked to walk. This is probably why our ancestors supplied a lot of linden honey to Europe, and in those days, such a craft as beekeeping was very widespread. Nowadays, they make from linden wooden lining, which successfully ennobles baths and other premises. Lining has unusual view, durable and not afraid of moisture, tolerates temperature changes well, is easy to assemble and has a small weight. In addition, linden wood holds heat well and fills the room with a luxurious aroma.
Linden wood has been successfully used in aircraft modeling. Perhaps it is still used today, although it is being replaced by light and durable composite materials.
Linden flowers are used in modern cosmetology and are used for skin and hair care. They cleanse the skin, relieve inflammation, and have a calming effect. Decoctions and steam baths are made from flowers. They are beneficial for all types of skin.
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