Content
Linden has been popular with people since ancient times and now does not lose its relevance among gardeners. In addition to its beauty, it also has practical benefits: its trunks are used to make durable and functional wooden products, and its flowers are used in folk medicine. Linden lives a long time, so you can plant it once and admire its beauty for many years.
How long does it take for a linden tree to grow to adulthood?
When growing linden on your site, it is worth considering one point: the tree has a long life, but slow growth. By the age of ten, its height will not exceed 3 meters. It is considered a mature tree after it blooms for the first time.
The period of the first flowering in the life of a linden tree occurs in different ways. In many ways, this period depends on the place in which the tree is grown. In open areas, flowering occurs at 15-17 years of age. If the linden tree is in close proximity to other trees, they will slow down its growth and development. In such conditions, the first flowering will occur only at 20-25 years of age.
It is believed that a tree reaches maturity after 20-30 years of life when grown in plantations. In open areas this occurs after 15 years. Linden becomes a full-fledged honey plant only at 35-40 years of age.Externally, this can be determined by the thick crowns that abundantly cover the flowers.
The slowest growing linden trees are those that arise from seed propagation.
The most active growth is observed in the period from 10 to 30 years of life. At this time, the annual growth of the tree can reach 60 cm.
Lifespan of linden
The lifespan of a linden tree depends on many external conditions. The average duration varies within 400 years. In some cases this figure may be higher. There are long-lived linden trees that grow for more than 1000 years. Such specimens are officially recorded and are extremely rare.
Gardeners love linden trees for their long life. After all, having planted them on your site, you can use them for collecting inflorescences and bark for many years. They are widely used in folk medicine.
The trunk thickness of lindens that have lived up to 90 years is about 4 m. From this moment on, the trees are suitable for timber harvesting. They are used to create various decorative items. Linden trees that are 90-95 years old make very high quality and durable guitars.
How to determine the age of a linden tree
There are different ways to determine the age of linden trees. They can be divided into two groups: non-destructive (measuring the diameter of the trunk), destructive (using a Pressler drill, counting rings). In the first case, no harm is caused to the linden tree. In the second case, it will need to be injured or cut down.
To determine age by trunk diameter, you need to know the average annual growth in a particular region. Most often, this value varies from 1 to 3 cm. Using a tape measure, you need to measure the circumference of the trunk.Next, you should divide this number by 3.14. This is the diameter of the barrel. It must be divided by the average annual increase. The resulting number will be the approximate age.
For the next method, you need to prepare a Pressler drill. With its help, you need to take a sample of wood from the bark to the core of the linden tree. You will need to count the number of rings on it.
To obtain a sample, you must carefully screw the drill into the barrel. This must be done at a distance of at least 1.5 meters from the ground. After that, take it out and remove the sample. On it you need to count the number of annual rings. This will be the approximate age of the tree.
Another way to find out how long a linden tree lived is to count its annual rings. This can only be done after the tree has been cut down. You need to count the number of annual rings on the stump, this will be the approximate age of the tree.
This method will not give an exact number. Indeed, depending on the weather and diseases, the tree might not form a ring in some years.
The oldest trees
Linden wood is popular. These trees are actively being cut down for further processing. But despite this, there are real long-lived linden trees in the world. The presence of such specimens is possible due to the fact that the lifespan of linden in nature is more than 100 years. All these trees are located in different parts of the planet.
Each long-lived tree celebrated its centenary anniversary
In Bashkortostan there is a linden tree that has lived for more than 500 years. This tree is considered a national natural monument. Upon careful examination, traces of the vital activity of bees can be found on its trunk.
In France, in the city of Meuse, you can see another long-lived linden tree. She is also famous for being seen by Joan of Arc. In 1429, when she was on her way to meet Charles VII, her path ran past this tree.
Svetlogorsk has its own linden tree, which has been living for about 450 years. There is one belief associated with it. They say that you need to go to the lake near which she lives, hug the linden tree and count to seven. After this, you need to make a wish that will definitely come true. It's best to do this alone.
In the Lviv region of Ukraine there is a linden tree that is more than 800 years old. It is a landmark and named after Bohdan Khmelnytsky.
The oldest remaining linden tree stump can be seen in the Glostenshire Arboretum. According to some sources, it is already more than 4000 years old. It is located in an arboretum called Westonbirt. Despite its age, the stump is well preserved.
Conclusion
The linden tree lives for many decades unless it is cut down or gets sick, which leads to death. This is an unpretentious and low-maintenance tree that even a novice gardener can easily grow. Under favorable conditions, it will bring benefits and decorate the site for more than one generation of owners.
