Beekeeper seeks Tilia seeds and baby Tilia trees (Basswood, Linden) for enriching local pollinator forage! Are there any Lower Mainland/Island sources? Regards, Janet
I will be more specific then, Tilia cordata wanted. Very few Tilia are a problem: "Lime constitutes my main flow- I have over 100 lime trees within a mile radius of my hives. The poisonous limes are tilia oliveri;t.euchora;t.tomentosa;and t.dasystila, though I believe(without being certain) that their toxicity applies to other bees rather than honeybees. Anyway, there are 2 varieties that are worth planting from a melliferous point of view: tilia platyphyllos and tilia cordata (the large-leaved lime and the small-leaved lime to give them their good old English names. The flowering period is short, and nectar production fickle-the right conditions are necessary i.e. heat, dryness in the air, and wetness at the roots. But when they give, the resulting honey (which is often a mix of honey & honeydew) is excellent and crystallises very slowly with smallish crystals. Anyway, in the bad years you still have the flowers that you can dry to make a very pleasant *tea*. Hope that helps."
