Parts Most Frequently Used; Leaf, Flower, Berry, Wood, Charcoal

Flavors/Temps: Sweet, Astringent, Pungent

Caution: Considered safe. Caution is advised if using heart medications, please consult your doctor before using.

Key Constituents: Flavonoids (including Hyperoside, Quercitrin, Myricetin, Galactoside, and Kaempferol), Quercetin glycosides, Mucilage (including Arabinogalactans, Proanthocyanidins, Caffeic, Eugenol and Geraniol), Volatile oils, Tannins

History/Folklore: The flowers of linden trees have been used to treat anxiety and nervous disorders. They were steeped in teas to help with upset stomachs, palpitations, and even vomiting associated with stress and anxiety. Linden tea extracts have been shown to help depress the nervous system promoting sleep and calming nerves.

Interestingly, an old Celtic legend states that sitting under a linden tree you will be cured of epilepsy. In Roman and German folklore the linden tree is considered the “Tree of Lovers.”

In German culture, it is considered protection against evil spirits, lightning, and bad luck. It is associated with the goddess of love, Freya, because of its heart-shaped leaves and was seen as a “fertility tree”. In pre-Christian Germanic times, it was associated with truth-telling and jurisprudence. Judicial meetings were held under the tree and verdicts were returned “sub tilia” (under the linden). It was also a symbol of gentleness, sweetness, and goodness in German poetry. It symbolizes peace, hope, and healing. It was often planted in homes and churches to protect the community and enjoyed for its lovely sweet, soothing scent similar to honeysuckle or jasmine. The famous street in Berlin, Unter den Linden, is named after the linden trees planted along the avenue.

In Slovenia, there are linden trees that have grown to be over 700 years old. They were often planted to mark places where meetings or celebrations would be held in the shade of the great trees. To this day, a linden tree is planted to mark a special occasion. Locally, they are often called “Turkish linden trees” as they were used to mark the locations where battles were won against the Turks. Linden Tree Avenue, also called Napoleon’s Avenue, comprises 290 trees and was planted in 1810 to mark the wedding of Napoleon to the Austrian Princess, Marie Louise. It is protected as a horticultural monument.

The dried flowers are sticky and the fruit is somewhat sweet and slimy. Linden trees attract aphids that ants “farm” and consume. The process leaves behind the sap creating a thin sticky film or syrup, sometimes called “honeydew” on cars parked underneath the branches. The ants and aphids do not harm the tree.

The tea tastes pleasant due to the volatile oils found in the flowers.

Linden flowers treat colds, headaches, and high blood pressure, and have a sedating effect. The leaves and wood, also sedating, can help reduce inflammation. Linden wood is used to treat liver and gallbladder disorders. Linden charcoal is taken orally to treat intestinal disorders and applied topically to treat skin infections.

Linden berries are acidic and bitter when they first ripen. They become sweeter if left on the branch through winter and are used to make medicinal teas culinary jams and syrups. Don’t confuse linden berries with lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idea), which are also edible, but slightly tart and sweet compared to linden berries.

The trees are also valued for their wood, charcoal, and honey made from their flowers. The wood is soft and easily worked.

Linden charcoal can be used orally to treat intestinal disorders and topically to treat swelling or infections in the lower leg and reduce itching. Activated charcoal can help absorb toxins in the system and prevent them from being absorbed into the body. Medical professionals will use it to counter the ingestion of toxins and poisons, including the overdosing of over-the-counter drugs like acetaminophen. Activated charcoal is more effective than stomach pumping if the toxin has already entered the bloodstream. In metalworking, charcoal is used to erase light scratches and deburr dry points on a metal plate which can then be polished.

Old Germanic tribes carved shields with intricate designs from linden. The Germans also used the wood to carve many intricate altarpieces. The wood is still used today to make puppets. Linden is used to make guitars and drum shells to enhance their sound and aesthetics. Aquariums use the wood as a diffuser as air pumped through the grain of the wood produces minute bubbles that are otherwise difficult to create.

In Japan, the bark of the tree is used by the Ainu people to make fibers for making clothing.

The leaves and young buds are edible raw.