Plantwatch: Britain's native lime tree
Warm sunshine brought out masses of wildflowers this summer, including many rarities such as the lesser butterfly orchid. Lime trees also did well in the heat – they need hot summers to flower and set seeds. Unfortunately, limes have a bad reputation for the sticky mess they drop on cars parked underneath them in streets, but the culprit is actually a foreign species of lime, and the sticky stuff is honeydew made by masses of aphids feeding on the leaves.The native British lime, though, is one of our most ancient plants, dating back to the end of the last ice age, but is at its most northerly limits in the UK because of ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - August 23, 2013 Category: Science Authors: Paul Simons Tags: The Guardian Trees and forests Features Plants Environment Science Source Type: news
