Thursday, October 28, 2010

Zoom w a View: Linden trees frame a streetscape

Where mighty oaks and maples once stood in my neighbourhood we now see linden trees.

Though I’m partial to oaks and maples (mighty hardwoods - like my head), I’ve read good and interesting things about lindens.


“Linden trees, sometimes called basswood or lime tree, are an excellent choice for the urban landscape. They are especially hardy, tolerant of alkaline soils, visited by few destructive insects and exhibit a natural, pyramidal shape that requires little pruning.”

“Lindens are slow growers and will take many years to provide shade."
(Treehelp.com)

The colours of the lindens on Duchess St. (once known Old Victoria St.) are indeed golden yellow and their leaves are lining our streets.

Not only are they aka basswood and lime tree, but bee tree as well.

“Imagine yourself sitting under a beautiful tall green tree. The soft summer breeze gently ripples through its shiny heart-shaped leaves. High overhead, you can hear honey bees lazily buzzing in and out of its perfumed flowers.”


["Yellow-gold lindens line Old Victoria St., now Duchess Ave.": snaps GH]

“This is the linden tree. Sometimes if grows 130 feet high, and produces some of the most powerful herbal medicine known to humans. You may even have one of these trees on your street because they are planted widely in cities, and are fairly common in the countryside throughout Ontario.”
(More details from vitalitymagazine.com here)

Whatever they’re called, I like them.

***

And now you all know a little bit more about the trees in my neighbourhood and what I do with some of my free time.

Isn’t life exciting?

Another Zoom w a View streetscape here.

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