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Resource Articles from Gilbert Smith, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist
and Lesley Bruce Smith, ISA Certified Arborist
Amazing Trees, Amazing Me!
Mother Nature’s Moment - April 2016
by: Lesley Bruce Smith, ISA certified arborist
I have spent the whole of my professional career explaining to people that trees are amazing organisms with an innate wisdom. This requests of us that we approach them with humility, and recognize that they have the ability to heal themselves far beyond what we are capable of understanding. As a result, we seek to be careful observers of the natural environment and do our best to mimic that in our home landscapes in order to provide the best possible home for our tree friends to survive and thrive.
June - Wisdom from the Trees
June Tree of the Month, American Linden
This month is when the beautiful Linden trees are in full flower. The American Linden, also known as Basswood or Beetree Linden is a honeybee and flower pollinator favorite because of it’s lovely sweet scent. It is also one of our favorites, so much so that we named two of our puppies after it! The Linden, known by all the above names by North Americans is remembered as a Lime tree by the British. Can you see why scientific nomenclature is a helpful tool?
The Linden is a beloved tree all over the world and in Europe most 16 century manors had a Linden planted on either side of the front door for good luck, which was a custom that travelled the Atlantic as many in the new colonies saluted memories of old and wanted good luck for the future in their new land.
This is a tree that can reach 60’-80’ in the Chicago area and a spread half it’s height. There are many cultivars of this species but often they are plagued with difficulties in structure and so our favorite is the native North American original shown here.
It has a rich history and the name Basswood comes from a word meaning fiber from the aboriginal peoples of North America. They discovered that the bark of the Linden could be soaked and separated to be plied into twine and rope and when boiled even made into fiber for weaving for mats and clothing. It is also a favorite of wood carvers. Medicinally, properties of the Linden have included management of fevers, hypertension, indigestion and as an expectorant, to name just a few.