Question
What, please, is the english name for the tilleul and how old can it get.Any problems associated with this tree, I'd appreciate knowing.
Thank you.

Answer
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees, native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere, in Asia (where the greatest species diversity is found), Europe and eastern North America; it is absent from western North America. Under the Cronquist classification system, this genus was placed in the family Tiliaceae, but genetic research by the APG has resulted in the incorporation of this family into the Malvaceae.

The trees are generally called linden in North America, and lime in Britain. Both names are derived from the Germanic root lind. The modern forms in English derive from linde or linne in Anglo Saxon and old Norse, and in Britain the word transformed more recently to the modern British form lime. In the United States, the modern German name Linde, from the same root, became more common, partly to avoid confusion with any other uses of the name. Neither the name nor the tree is closely related to the citrus fruit called "lime" (Citrus aurantifolia, family Rutaceae). Another widely-used common name used in North America is Basswood, derived from bast, the name for the inner bark (see Uses, below).

Tilia species are large deciduous trees, reaching typically 20-40 m tall, with oblique-cordate leaves 6-20 cm across, and are found through the north temperate regions. The exact number of species is subject to considerable uncertainty, as many or most of the species will hybridise readily, both in the wild and in cultivation; the following list comprises those most widely accepted.

Maximum longevity is approximately 200 years. In Europe, Linden trees are known to have reached ages measured in centuries. In the courtyard of the Imperial Castle at Nuremberg is a linden which tradition says was planted by the Empress Cunigunde, the wife of Henry II of Germany. This would make the tree about nine hundred years old (when it was described in 1900 ). It looks ancient and infirm, but in 1900 was sending forth thrifty leaves on its two or three remaining branches and was of course cared for tenderly. The famous Linden of Neustadt on the Kocher in W黵temberg was computed to be one thousand years old when it fell.



The Linden's sturdy trunk stands like a pillar and the branches divide and subdivide into numerous ramifications on which the spray is small and thick. In summer this is profusely clothed with large leaves and the result is a dense head of abundant foliage.

The leaves of all the lindens are one-sided, always heart-shaped, and the tiny fruit, looking like peas, always hangs attached to a curious, ribbon-like, greenish yellow bract, whose use seems to be to launch the ripened seed-clusters just a little beyond the parent tree. The flowers of the European and American lindens are similar, except that the American bears a petal-like scale among its stamens and the European varieties are destitute of these appendages. All the lindens may be propagated by cuttings and grafting as well as by seed. They grow rapidly in a rich soil, but are suject to the attacks of many insect enemies.
The Linden is to be recommended as an ornamental tree when a mass of foliage or a deep shade is desired.[1] The tree produces fragrant and nectar-producing flowers, the medicinal herb lime blossom. They are very important honey plants for beekeepers, producing a very pale but richly flavoured monofloral honey. The flowers are also used for herbal tea, and this infusion is particularly popular in Europe.

The timber of lime trees is soft and easily worked, so it is a popular wood for carving. The wood is often used for model building and intricate carving, and for making electric guitar bodies. Other musical instrument uses include its use for wind instruments such as recorders. It is also the wood of choice for the window-blinds and shutters industries. Real wood blinds are often made from this lightweight but strong and stable wood which is well suited to natural and stained finishes.

It is known in the trade as basswood, particularly in North America. This name originates from the inner fibrous bark of the tree, known as bast (Old English language). A very strong fibre was obtained from this, by peeling off the bark and soaking in water for a month; after which the inner fibres can be easily separated. Bast obtained from the inside of the bark of the lime tree has been used by the Ainu people of Japan to weave their traditional clothing, the attus.
In the percussion industry, basswood is sometimes used as a material for drum shells, both to enhance their sound and their esthetics. Mapex VX, Sonor Force 507, Pearl Vision, Tama Superstar, and Ludwig Accent drums all contain basswood plies.

Basswood is also frequently used as a material for electric guitar bodies. Generally it (along with agathis) is favoured for less-expensive models, although it does see use in high-end instruments as well, such as Ibanez RG series and Ibanez JEM.