Today was Forest school again and I finally identified this tree in Beatrix park by nipping of a leaf bud and chewing it very gently and thoughtfully! The taste was unmistakable – Lime tree (Tilia sp).

The taste itself was mild for a tree bud but more importantly upon prolonged chewing it released a large amount of gooey unctuous mucilage – as does fresh Lime blossom. It also tasted exactly the same as those midsummer blossoms. I was very pleased to find this as I have a real fondness of Lime and it’s lovely to now know a tree with low hanging branches and hence flowers in midsummer.