Dear Readers, I went for a walk along Lincoln Road here in East Finchley on Thursday, and it looks as if all the lime trees have been given a short-back-and-sides haircut. No wonder this one looks as if it’s giving the world a two-finger sign! Plus the ‘no dog poo here’ signs make me think that someone (or maybe several someones) haven’t been cleaning up after their dog.
The trees were last pruned in April 2023, which seems a bit recent, though some websites do suggest pruning lime trees every other year. At least it’s been done before the birds nest, and it will be interesting to know how quickly the trees recover. I know car owners don’t like to get their cars sticky with all the honeydew that the aphids that live on the leaves produce, so maybe that’s the reason, and it’s also good to see that the trees are being looked after – lime trees (or linden trees as they’re known in Europe, probably to distinguish them from citrus trees) host lots of creatures apart from greenfly, including the caterpillars of the lime hawk moth. Here are the trees in happier days….
…and here is the rather impressive lime hawk moth caterpillar with his/her little blue tail. These creatures are a lot more common than you’d think, so it’s always an idea to check out a lime tree if you happen to be passing.
Lime Hawk Moth caterpillar (Mimas tiliae) Photo By Photograph made by Jeroencommons (talk) and Klaas Haima – Photograph made by Jeroencommons (talk) and Klaas Haima, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4794960
And here is the adult moth. What a beauty!
Lime hawk moth (Photo Ben Sale from Stevenage, UK, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
So let’s hope the lime trees generate lots of fresh growth for these lovelies to munch upon. I shall have a look in a month or so and report back! As I’ve mentioned before, Lincoln Road has lime trees when, apart from a few on the High Street, everywhere else doesn’t, and they’re amongst my favourite trees. Fingers crossed the trees recover soon, and that the dog poop problem ends.
Overworked. But must find the other version and see if I like it better.
Lime trees make me sneeze. But apart from that I’ve always disliked pollarding the way they do it in urban areas. Quite sinister really when seen in the gathering dusk.
It looks as if the trees are raising their fists, doesn’t it…
It all looks rather severe doesn’t it? I recall the trees (not limes) along the shores of Lac Léman in Vevey being cut back similarly but, by the summer, they were soon back to their leafy best, providing welcome shade to the lakeside strollers. 👍👍😊
I’m hoping they’ll leaf up soon, they look most indignant at the moment….