Large-leaved lime

The leaf

The leaf is heart-shaped, with a slightly lopsided base and a pointed tip. The edge is finely toothed. It is hairy underneath, with tufts of whitish hairs where the veins meet.

The bark

On young trees the bark is grey and smooth. Over the years it cracks into long, narrow furrows, forming a network of ridges.

The fruit

The fruits are pea-sized, woody, hairy little balls with five marked ribs. They hang in groups from a long stalk attached to a bract, a narrow, pale leaf that acts as a wing when they fall.

The flower

In early summer it bears clusters of small, pale yellow, very fragrant flowers, hanging from the same bract that will later carry the fruits. They attract huge numbers of bees.

1. Jan
2. Feb
3. Mar
4. Apr
5. May
6. Jun
7. Jul
8. Aug
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10. Oct
11. Nov
12. Dec

Habit

A large tree with a straight trunk and a broad, dense, dome-shaped crown. It can live for several centuries.

Where it grows

It grows wild in damp woods and cool mountain ravines in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees and the Montseny. It is planted along avenues and in squares, although many town limes are other species or hybrids.