Take a look at the shape of the linden tree! Well, does it remind you of anything? Exactly! When a linden tree is allowed to grow freely, it looks just like its leaves. And those leaves are like little hearts—only upside down. Can you see that? And when it blooms in June, the linden tree smells wonderful, too!

Maybe you’ll be lucky—it’s nice and warm, and the small-leaved linden is already in bloom? Then take a sniff: it smells really sweet. If you’ve just taken an autumn trip to Lankow, you won’t be able to smell much, but you can see: in autumn, its leaves turn golden yellow.

The small-leaved lime can live to be very old—more than 1,000 years! Can you imagine that? It manages this because it can keep forming new shoots. In this way, the tree can, so to speak, start over again and again. This is called rejuvenation. Wouldn’t it be great if Grandpa and Grandma could do that too, huh?

The small-leaved lime has a close relative: the large-leaved lime, which blooms later. They look very similar. But there’s one difference on the underside of the leaves. On the small-leaved lime, you’ll find tiny brownish hairs there. Can you see them? The large-leaved lime doesn’t have them. Also, the small-leaved lime can produce significantly more flowers or fruits at the same time.

The linden tree holds a special place in people’s hearts. Its wood is soft and light, making it ideal for carving. Many of the figures found in churches were made from linden wood. In some villages, a linden tree also served as a meeting place. Back when people couldn’t make phone calls or send messages via cell phone, they would say, for example, “Let’s meet at 3 p.m. by the linden tree!”—and it worked! There was also a “court linden” where disputes were settled. Or a “dance linden” around which people celebrated wonderful village festivals. 
Linden blossoms are also good for your health—specifically as a remedy for colds. Of course, this only works if you aren’t allergic to linden.

To this day, the linden tree is considered a symbol of life, the connection between humans and nature, love, and hope.

Key Facts About the Small-leaved Lime

This small-leaved lime was measured in 2025. It was about 12 meters tall and had a trunk circumference of 53 centimeters. It has certainly grown even more since then. Can you wrap your arms around the trunk? Give it a try!
Its wood stores around 766 kilograms of carbon. Every year, it also absorbs about 24 kilograms of CO₂ from the air—roughly the same amount produced by a 220-kilometer car trip. In addition, it can retain about 900 liters of rainwater annually. Year after year, its leaves filter around 828 grams of particulate matter from the air. At the same time, it produces about 63 kilograms of oxygen per year. An adult can breathe for about 101 days on that amount.