Tilia tomentosa - silver lime
Native to south-east Europe and Asia Minor, silver lime is one of four European lime species. It prefers woodland with dry rich soils, where it grows into a stiffly erect smooth-trunked tree, with a regular mound-shaped crown. Flowers are in clusters of 5-10, fruits 6-8mm (ca.0.3in.) in diameter and egg-shaped, faintly ribbed. A feature special to this species is the star-shaped, grey to almost white close-growing hairiness on the lower surface of the leaves and on young shoots. In wind, the leaves flutter to reveal in turn their dark green upper and silvery under surfaces.