Darn it Mary_max, you shouldn't have to wait forever like you've done on that buckthorn question . . .

Here are a couple of web resources that might help. One is the old tried-and-true USDA site for plants growing in our naturel world. You can search for littleleaf linden, Tilia cordata.

The other, I just came across . . . delightful serendipitous experience thanks to you! The University of Connecticut has quite a lot of info and pictures here.

Until others more knowledgeable respond, I hope this gives you a little something to work with.

digitS'

My linden and others around me are just flowering now, so I don't think there were seeds that already dropped. I'm thinking those round things were the flower buds before they opened. One thing I like about lindens is the sweet, mellow smell of their flowers when they're releasing their pollen. It's similar to locust trees, too. I walked by a linden in downtown SLC a few weeks ago and noticed the smell and the little flowers hanging underneath those light colored leaf-like growths. The one in my yard was a week or so behind the SLC tree, and it started blooming last week. Unmistakably, it's their flowering season right now, so pick one to watch and see how the seeds develop over the next several weeks. Don't pull seeds off while they're green -- they need to ripen on the tree and start to fall off on their own.

I've never tried to sprout them, but it may take a bit of work, like I did this winter sprouting Japanese maples. See these links on my personal website for info on how I sprouted the maples:

• How to do it

• My results (photos)

Thanks to both of you for the great sites and info. I will certainly check this out. Stevation I have no flowers YET!! So I will watch carefully for flowers. Two of the dogwoods flowered earlier this spring and one did not. Actually the one that did not flower never has and this was the first year for the other two to do so. Wow I just this morning noticed that there are a couple seedlings under the Lindon and so I was wondering..... Perhaps these are new Lindens that fell last year and just sprouting now. Could that be? I hope so. But I doubt it could be as it did not flower last year. I plan to pot them up tonight when it cooler and keep a watch on them. They are something! And not a weed I hope. Again thanks to both of you for your wonderful info! I love this time of year!! Wish it would last all year long. Have fun in your garden!

Here's a note of caution regarding SOME lindens. Apparently, there are some that are grafted on a different root stock. Suckers form on the roots or at the base of the truck below the graft.

There's a photo on the website but I'd be hard pressed to identify a difference in the leaves of what is essentially 2 plants. You may be able to recognize the graft if that is what has been done.

digitS'

Here is a link that might be useful: Epicormic shoots and suckers

Mary, it's quite common for tree seeds that fell last year to not sprout until the following spring. They need that winter freeze, or stratification as it's called.

Digit, I haven't had any suckers from my linden, but I definitely do from my crabapples, which are grafted. I also get some from a Jonathan apple, which is also grafted. Perhaps my linden is on its own roots.

My linden is on its own roots (it was a seedling pulled out of my neighbor's garden) and it suckers like crazy. It also seeds all over the place. I'll take a look later and see what it's doing at the moment with regards to flowering/seeding.

The Little Leaf Linden that was planted late last summer, started blooming today. I also noticed a large number of partially eaten leaves. The grasshopper population has run amuck this year, so I'm assuming they are the culprits. Do these trees attrack any other pests?

My mother-in-law had a lot of aphids on her lindens. Mine has been pest free.

I do get leaves eaten around the edges on other lower plants, and the culprits are black weevils that come out at night. I've sprayed malathion around the base of those shrubs, and it seems to control them (I'm using the malathion on my apples and cherries regularly, so I just do it then).

I have a mature linden tree roughly 60-70 ft. tall. Is it a condition of a mature linden tree to flower less with age, in the 5 years since we've owned our home we've had no scent.
Numerous arborist's have confirmed it's a linden and it is healthy, just no flowers to see and no scent.

I love sitting under our favorite linden tree with the little boy I daycare for. After my mother passed away two years ago I planted a linden tree at the cemetery for her.

This spring the tree we sit under is loaded with seeds and I also noticed this tree has a shiny leaf compared to my mother's tree that has a dull leaf and had no seeds (which I am happy about).

When should I expect seeds on the tree we planted two years ago and what's with the difference in the leaves.They do not have a silver under side.

Hoping for a response.

I keep watching for seeds on a particular full grown Linden tree, but never see it in bloom. On commercial property and they could not care less about it, so no help there. The tree is the basis for a legend where the Indians helped the white settlers, but a group of them decided to kill the Indians. They killed the Chief's 5 sons but not the Chief. The next Spring, a Linden tree with 5 sprouts came up, representing the 5 sons to the chief, at the site of the massacre. Only 3 grown trees remain, and I desperately want a start to continue the legend. Can you describe what the seed look like ? Do they need to be 'tempered' in the refrigerator before planting the next year ? Thanks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Military sites in Indiana