Weeping silver lime Tilia 'Petiolaris'

Best known for the silvery underside of its leaves, which shimmer in the wind, the silver lime is a statuesque import from eastern Europe. Bees pollinate the flowers in summer but often die in the process as the nectar is toxic to them.

The silver lime was introduced to Britain in 1767 and is native to the Balkans and parts of south west Asia. Like many introduced species, it was brought here for its ornamental appeal and the dense silvery hairs on the underside of its leaves certainly provide that.

However, it is not planted everywhere simply for its decorative appearance. Tilia tomentosa is an extremely hardy species and able to cope equally well with frost and drought. In the USA, the silver lime is often planted to line city streets where the reflected summer heat from pavements can completely dehydrate less durable trees.

The weeping silver lime (Tilia tomentosa 'Petiolaris'), also known as the silver pendent lime, is very similar in many regards to the silver lime. The main difference is in its drooping branches and longer leaf stalks. It could be a natural hybrid of another Tilia species but although it is known that a specimen was planted in the Cambridge Botanic Gardens in 1842, its precise origin remains a mystery.

The flowers of the tree emerge late in the summer and are pale yellow in colour. They are pollinated by bees but as the nectar is toxic to them, you can sometimes find silver lime trees with piles of dozy or even dead bees beneath it. Indeed, tea made from the flowers of Tilia tomentosa can act as a sedative so the tree clearly has some strong narcotic properties.