The Enchanting Linden Tree
A love story of fragrance and healing (and two of my favorite recipes for easing the heat of menopause!)
"I can still smell the fragrance of linden blossoms mingling with the memories of my childhood, evoking a sense of time suspended and a longing for lost moments." - Marcel Proust
As I wandered through my garden this morning, I was greeted by the alluring scent of the blooming Linden trees. Their honey-scented blossoms were a sight to behold, and the buzzing of honeybees only added to the mystical aura. The Linden tree, also known as the American Basswood or Lime tree, is one of my favorite herbal allies in the garden. Its easily identifiable boxy leaves, long pod-shaped leaves, and pretty flowers and seed pods make it a true beauty to behold.
But it's the Linden's fragrance that truly captivates me. A Linden in full bloom is the scent of warmed raw floral honey and freshly mown hay. It's no wonder that the Linden is also called a "bee tree" - walk underneath one and look up, and you'll see it covered with flowers and honeybees.
If you plant a linden (and I think that you should plant two!), be sure to allow space for a large tree. Until a storm took it down, I had a glorious, 100-foot tall tree that provided me with gallons of flowers and leaves every year for teas and tinctures.
I have replanted two beautiful lindens in my front yard and every year for about two weeks in June my front porch smells like a warmed pot of gooey, sweet honey. I know the exact moment that it’s ready for harvest because that’s the moment my seasonal allergies kick up. There’s an enormous amount of pollen found in linden flowers, in fact during blooming season everything nearby seems to be covered with a thin yellow dusting of it. This is why the bees love it. I promise you, this is one tree that is worth the aggravation of a sneeze or two.
It’s incredibly hard to find, but if you can track down a bottle of the essential oil, it’s well worth it. Mix four drops of linden oil into a teaspoon of almond oil and add to a warm (not hot) bath for a soothing experience. (Please remember with any essential oil to use a carrier oil at all times to keep your skin happy and burn free.)
I love linden for its calming and soothing properties, and I always harvest the blossoms and fronds to make a lovely and enchanting tea, just like they do in the south of France and all over Germany. In Europe the linden harvest is a time-honored tradition, where the locals gather the blossoms and dry them for tea.
The leaves and flowers of the Linden make a truly relaxing tea that can be enjoyed at any time and is one of the best natural nervines that I know of. A few handfuls of the fresh or dried leaves and flowers steeped or infused into a quart of water and then sweetened with raw honey is truly ambrosia. Enjoyed with a nougat cookie, Madeleine, or a fine piece of shortbread elevates Linden tea to a truly remarkable experience.
Linden is used around the world to promote rest and relaxation when the nervous system is taxed. I also infuse the linden flowers with rose petals, tulsi leaves and lavender which are known for calming qualities. I usually make my own tinctures and linden is a very easy plant to infuse.
But the real magic of the Linden was revealed to me when I began struggling with the moody sweaty symptoms of perimenopause. I created a tonic that includes some of my favorite green allies, including Hops, Valerian, Oatstraw, Chamomile, Lavender, Catnip, Anise Hyssop, and Rose petals. This tonic is cooling, soothing, and promotes a lovely restfulness without drowsiness.
If you’re anything like I was – sweating, tossing and turning — it was tricky to get a good night’s sleep. A cup of linden tea or a dropper of this linden tincture in a cup of warm water with some honey about an hour before bed worked wonders.
I make this tonic in large mason jars, layering 1/2 cup of raw honey, 2 cups of tart cherry juice, about 2 cups of blueberries and blackberries, 2 cups of Linden flowers, 2 cups of rose petals and all of the rest of the herbs, approximately half a cup of each. I top it all with vodka, cap it and let it sit for three weeks in a cool dark place, stirring it once every couple of days before straining and funneling it into dropper bottles. Two dropperfuls of this tincture in a cup of warm water or herbal tea, with a touch of honey, is the ultimate relaxation experience. Sip it in a warm bath or wrapped in a soft robe, and let the magic of the Linden and its friends soothe your soul.
Making a lovely linden tea is so simple. You may want to add a tablespoon or two of local raw honey and a cream scone with fresh jam. The tea loves to be drunk in the dead of winter, sitting in a soft chair with a warm cozy cat. You will need:
2 teaspoons tulsi (holy basil)
2 teaspoons linden
½ teaspoon lavender- Resist the impulse to use more. It will make the tea taste soapy.
2 teaspoons unsprayed rose petals
honey, to taste
Spoon each dried herb into a large tea ball or tea pot and steep. Add honey to your liking.
The Linden tree is a true gift from nature, and I feel blessed to have it in my garden. Its enchanting fragrance and healing properties are a reminder of the power and beauty of nature's simplest gifts. So take a moment to savor the magic of the Linden, and let it transport you to a world of relaxation and enchantment.
Thymeless Quotes:
“Find yourself a cup of tea; the teapot is behind you. Now tell me about hundreds of things. Saki Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors.”