Many peoples of the world venerate and adore the tree, which strikes at the same time with magnificence, monumentality, sophistication and impressive elegance. Regardless of how many years the linden has been living, it is always characterized by incredible harmony. It seems that this tree, looking up, knows no age.
Tree of worship
The ancient Slavic tribes considered her the tree of the goddess of eternal love and beauty of Lada, the Scandinavians and Vikings - the all-powerful guardian of the hearth, the goddess Freya. Ancient philosophers Pliny and Virgil mentioned it in their treatises, calling them a golden tree, and Europeans, considering the linden sacred, planted it in the courtyards of castles, around churches and temples, on city alleys and squares. In Germany, this tree was legendary, justice happened under its canopy. In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church idolized linden, identifying the unusual shape of the leaves and the delicate aroma of flowers with the heart of the Savior. In Picardy, three trees planted together symbolize Christianity and the Holy Trinity. Such a reverent attitude towards a tree is far from accidental. Linden, indeed, is a unique plant, its energy, according to the esotericists, is very strong and bright. Maybe, therefore, people are often interested in the question of how long the linden lives.
Characteristics
Representing a majestic, large tree sometimes sometimes reaching fifty meters tall , linden has always been used and is used in landscaping parks and streets. The main criteria in this case are a tree crown that is easily moldable , a powerful deep root system, resistance to adverse weather conditions and a sufficiently long life cycle. It is in this practical application of the tree that the question of how long the linden lives has been very important. Mountain ash, for example, is not at all suitable for creating an alley; its life span rarely exceeds 80-90 years.
Types of linden
More than 40 varieties of linden grow throughout the world. The following species are most common: heart-shaped or small-leaved linden, large-leaved (summer), felt, etc. Being an excellent honey plant, any type of linden blooms in late June, spreading a delicate aroma that attracts bees from all around. Linden honey is the most valuable type of honey, which is universally recognized throughout the world. No less valuable is wood, soft and pliable, but at the same time strong and resilient, it is used both in construction and in the creation of exquisite masterpieces by wood carvers.
Tree lifespan
Our ancestors, laying city alleys, of course, knew how long the linden lived. After all, she is one of the record holders for life expectancy among deciduous trees and lives on average 300-400 years. But this is not the limit. There is evidence of a much more serious age for this interesting plant. For example, in Bashkortostan, a 500-year-old linden with traces of bee activity on the trunk was declared a natural monument, and in a small French town on the Meuse River, a timeless tree grows, leaning on a tree supporting its wall, which is a living witness to the historical departure to the Chinon of the Orleans virgin Joan of Arc to a meeting with King Charles VII in 1429. Therefore, it is difficult to unambiguously judge how many years the linden tree has been living. The only important thing is that the life span of this unique plant is at least 300 years, and this is by human standards a very long life.
Amazingly long life, amazing unpretentiousness and incredible healing properties of all parts of the plant have earned the linden a truly legendary fame. And the answer to the question of how many years the linden has been living makes us appreciate this wonderful tree.