Aside from a plant that is pleasing to the eye, Linden is an amazing herb with series of benefits! According to Rosalee de la Forêt, one can smell the Linden tree before seeing it. In France, it lines most streets with its white and yellow flowers(“Powered by WordPress.”plantwalks/linden-plant-walk/).
Linden is an angiosperm and is also a eudicot. It comes from the family of Tiliaceae but recently was changed to the Malvaceae family(“Powered by WordPress.”plantwalks/linden-plant-walk/).The genus is Tilia spp. There are multiple species of Linden but here are three: Tilia cordata, T. americana, T. europaea. Some common names include basswood and limetree. However, in Europe they would use Tilia cordata as a species name but in North America, we use Tilia americana(“Powered by WordPress.”herb/linden/).
Here are some pictures of the different stages of life for the Linden tree
From seed:
Linden leaves:
Before the flower opens:
Flowering:
Roots:
One characteristic of the Linden tree is its heart shaped leaves that are serrated. Also, the leaves have an alternate leaf arrangement. The flowers are white to yellowish and extremely aromatic. After they flower, they produce another edible product - a nutlike fruit! Amazingly, all parts of the tree are edible including the bark and the tree itself can grow up to 130 feet in height!(“Basswood/Linden”) One tree that could be mistaken for the Linden tree is the White Oak tree. These are both tall, luscious trees that produce nuts; however many differences are present. The Linden tree has a heart shaped leaf whereas the White Oak has indentated leaves. Also, the oak has acorns and the Lindens do not.
Tilia americana is native to most Northern ranges but here is the range map for north america today(“Basswood/Linden”).
When foraging for this plant, you want to look for the long leaves with the flower bud to boil down to a tea or infusion. Also, the nuts will be ripe enough to eat in the fall when they are dark brown not green. When eating the nuts, one wants to eat the middle where the meat is not the outside of the nuts(“Powered by WordPress.”plantwalks/basswood-plant-walk/).
The energetics are cooling and moistening and the taste is sweet on the tongue. The constituents is that it is a volatile oil and it has flavonoids which include hesperidin, quercetin, astralagin, mucilage, phenolic acids, and tannins. (“Powered by WordPress.”herb/linden/)
Some of the herbal actions include: hypotensive, relaxing nervine, relaxing diaphoretic, demulcent, astringent, anti-spasmodic, mild diuretic. (“Powered by WordPress.”herb/linden/)
To my amazement, research has been done to see the effects of Linden on arthritis. Although only tested on rats, researchers found that Linden had a similar effect on arthritis as Tramadol. (“Antinociceptive Activity of Tilia Americana Var. Mexicana Inflorescences and Quercetin in the Formalin Test and in an Arthritic Pain Model in Rats”). Also, researchers found that it has the ability to help recover from a stroke more efficiently. They set up the experiment by administering Linden extracts to mice that just survived ischaemia. In conclusion, they found that groups treated with non-polar or polar extracts had an elevated survival rate(“Neuroprotective Effects of Tilia Americana Var. Mexicana on Damage Induced by Cerebral Ischaemia in Mice”). These benefits are only a couple of the amazing capabilities of Linden. Traditionally, in France this was a great source of food. In World War Two when food was scarce and since this tree was plentiful, people would use the flowers to grind into a flour to mix with other kinds of flours like wheat for bread and pastries. (“Powered by WordPress.”plantwalks/linden-plant-walk/.)
There are many ways to prepare Linden for whatever one needs. One way is to use the outer flexible bark of the tree and make shoes out of it to protect your feet from the cold. According to Doug Elliot, they used the bark to sew up a dog’s wound. Also, the flowers and leaves are used for teas and sometimes used to make tinctures. All parts of the plants are used including the seeds, root, stems, leaves, flowers, and bark. (“Powered by WordPress.”plantwalks/basswood-plant-walk/. )
According to the The Way of Herbs dosing strategies, “Standard infusion of one ounce steeped in a pint of boiling water for ten to twenty minutes; take as often as desired.”(Tierra, Michael, and Subhuti Dharmananda) Of course, for a more nutrient dense infusion, one could steep for four or more hours. Also, the young leaves and flowers can be used in salads and if one desired to use it externally, one could use it as a bandage or fermentation of the leaves and flowers(“Powered by WordPress”).
Here are some delicious sounding recipes using this herb:
Linden infused honey:
Begin by selecting the most scrumptious linden flowers to be infused.Place them in a small jar and cover with honey. Stir well.Let this sit for a minimum of three days, but longer works as well. I turn the jar upside down every day to help “stir” the mixture.When the honey is done you can use this in a number of ways (There is no need to strain the herbs from the honey)(“A Family Herb: Gentle Linden Flower and Leaf”).
Refreshing Linden Summertime Iced Tea:
Brew this tea to drink on a hot summer day and serve over ice! You can also blend it with some fruit such as peaches or berries and freeze into tasty popsicles!
Ingredients 6 teaspoons linden flower and leaf 4 teaspoons spearmint leaf 4 teaspoons lemon balm leaf 4 teaspoons hibiscus flowers 2 teaspoons rose petals ½ gallon of water Honey to taste
Directions Combine all the herbs together in a ½ gallon jar or a pot. You can make this tea with boiling hot water or as a sun tea. If you are making with hot water, boil the water and then cover the herbs with water. Place a lid on top of the jar/pot and steep for at least 30 minutes before straining. If you are making a sun tea, place the herbs in a jar so the sun’s rays can reach them. Cover the herbs with water and place a lid on top of your jar. Set the jar in the sun for 4 hours before straining the herbs out. While your tea is still warm, sweeten it with a bit of honey and then let it cool before serving! (“A Family Herb: Gentle Linden Flower and Leaf.”) Overall, Linden is a safe herb with no known special considerations when it comes to other medications or health issues. Linden is a fascinating herb!
Sources:
“Antinociceptive Activity of Tilia Americana Var. Mexicana Inflorescences and Quercetin in the Formalin Test and in an Arthritic Pain Model in Rats.” GreenMedInfo | Blog Entry, 19 Apr. 2009, www.greenmedinfo.com/article/tilia-americana-has-pain-killing-activity-similar-tramadol-arthritic-pain-mode.
“A Family Herb: Gentle Linden Flower and Leaf.” Herbal Academy, 18 Jan. 2018, theherbalacademy.com/a-family-herb-linden-flower/.
“Basswood/Linden.” Foraging Texas, www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/basswoodlinden_20.html.
“Neuroprotective Effects of Tilia Americana Var. Mexicana on Damage Induced by Cerebral Ischaemia in Mice.” GreenMedInfo | Blog Entry, 11 Mar. 2016, www.greenmedinfo.com/article/t-americana-has-neuroprotective-activity-and-could-be-useful-aid-clinical-mana.
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Tierra, Michael, and Subhuti Dharmananda. The Way of Herbs. Pocket Books, 1998.
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