Tilia ×vulgaris (common lime, "Seiyoshinanoki")

Japanese name: セイヨウシナノキ （西洋科木）
Scientific name: Tilia ×vulgaris

[Overview]
A hybrid of Fuyu-bodaiju and Natsu-bodaiju, a deciduous tree that can reach 50 m in height and 5 m in trunk diameter.
Its characteristics are intermediate between Fuyu-bodaiju and Natsu-bodaiju: the leaf size and veins resemble Fuyu-bodaiju, while the branch form, number of flowers and fruit shape resemble Natsu-bodaiju.
Few are found in the wild.
The tree shape is ovoid.
Young branches are hairless.
The leaves are simple and alternate in two zigzag rows, broadly ovate, 6–15 cm long and 6–12 cm wide, with a heart-shaped base and a tail-like pointed tip.
The leaf margins are toothed.
The leaf stalks are 3–6 cm long and hairless.
The flowers are borne in cymose clusters of 4–10 on slender stalks hanging down from the leaf axils, and have 5 yellowish-white petals.
The inflorescence bears spatulate bracts 10–15 cm long and 1.5–2.0 cm wide.
The flowers are fragrant.
The fruit is ovoid, about 8 mm across, and ridged.

[History]
Schubert's "Bodaiju" refers to this tree.
In medieval Europe it was regarded as a symbol of freedom.

[Uses]
In medieval Europe it was regarded as a symbol of freedom, and in Europe it is often planted as a street tree.
The wood is used for musical instruments and carvings, and is sold under the name lime wood.
Fiber obtained from the bark is used for crafts such as rope, nets and baskets.
A decoction of the flowers is used as a folk remedy for rashes in children.
In France, the flowers are drunk as herbal tea.
It is also famous as a nectar source tree for honey.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed.
Collect ripe fruit, remove the fruit skin and sow immediately, or seal the seeds in moist sand or similar so they do not dry out, store in a cool, dark place, and sow the following spring.
The seeds are strongly dormant, so germination takes 1–3 years.
Seedlings are shade tolerant, and it is better to grow them densely for several years, in bundles of three or in mixed plantings, rather than singly.
It prefers a somewhat cool climate and dislikes heat and humidity.
It prefers fertile soil that is sunny, well drained and well ventilated.
If the conditions suit it, it becomes a large tree, so a wide space is needed.
For mature trees, rainfall is sufficient, but if the soil dries out in summer, the leaves fall early.
If base fertilizer is applied, no further fertilizer is particularly necessary.
Pests and diseases include sooty mold and aphids.

[Notes]
The tree is often infested with large numbers of aphids, which suck the sap and excrete the excess as honeydew; it is reported that the total amount is equivalent to 1 kg of sugar per square meter per year.
It is said that this may increase the nitrogen-fixing bacteria around the tree, making it easier to obtain nitrogen as a nutrient.

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