This month’s featured bulk herb of the month is the leaf and flower of the linden tree (Tilia europaea, Tilia americana, or Tilia cordata), also known as limeflower, lime tree, or basswood. Linden is known as the original “hug in a mug”. Herbalists recommend this plant in times of stress, sadness, fear, or when you just feel like giving up and are tired of adulting.
Botanical Description & Traditional Use
This member of the mallow family (a relative of marshmallow and cacao) is a large tree that produces fragrant, yellow-white clusters of flowers. It’s native to temperate areas in the northern hemisphere and naturally grows in pastures, gardens, woodlands, and meadows. It is common across North America and Europe, where much folklore surrounding the linden tree exists. One Celtic folktale states that if you sit under the linden tree you will be cured of epilepsy. In Roman and German folklore, the linden tree is seen as the “tree of lovers”, and it has been used for centuries in Germany specifically as a remedy for influenza in children. According to Polish folklore, linden wood protects against both the evil eye and lightning. Historically, linden has been used as a remedy for feverish colds and infections since the Middle Ages.
Medicinal Benefits of Linden
Linden is known best as an effective relaxant, with gentle antispasmodic and sedative properties. These properties are particularly supportive at the intersection of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
When stressed, these two systems produce a feedback loop that sends messages to one another that they’re in danger (think head and heart talking to each other). Linden’s action relaxes and opens up the peripheral circulation, blood vessels, and muscles, lowering blood pressure and cardiovascular stress.
Linden’s relaxing effect helps calm the nerves, literally soothing the nervous system cells individually (like your vagus nerve), reduce heart palpitations and other stress-related symptoms, and supports restful sleep. It’s a popular herbal choice for treating insomnia, anxiety, agitation, hypertension, nervous headaches, and other tension-related symptoms. While not an adaptogenic, it is gentle enough to be used as a long term anti-stress remedy. It’s gentle even enough for children to use as well, especially for insomnia and recurring nightmares.
Because of its diaphoretic and circulation-stimulating actions, linden encourages healthy sweating, which can assist in pushing out a fever. Herbalists have used linden to help support the body’s elevated temperature—a sign of an increased immune response—during colds, fevers, and respiratory infections.
How to Use Linden
Traditionally, linden is most commonly used to make a relaxing tea. To make a decoction/infusion, place one teaspoon of dried linden into one cup of boiling water and infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and drink hot up to three times a day.
Find dried linden leaf and flower in our bulk herbs department.