HERB OF THE MONTH - JULY 2021
Lovely Linden
How to identify: Foraging Linden flowers in the middle of the summer is easy. Simply follow your nose. As you are walking in your local park or your neighborhood look up and go to the sweetest smelling tree around. They can grow to 200' tall. The heart shaped leaves and yellow white flowers with an extra set of opposite long leaves makes it unique.
How to grow: Quick growing Linden trees are often planted in parks and public spaces. I was so happy last year to arrive at the local nursery soon enough to purchase a linden tree. While it is growing I am still wildcrafting at local area.
How to gather: The harvesting time for Linden blossoms is just a small window of about 2 weeks a year. When Linden is ready I put a large cotton sheet and scissors in the car and head out to the gathering location. Since the flowers are dangling from the trees and it is hard to hold the both the gathering basket and the scissors, I just lay a sheet out on the ground below the flowers dangling down amongst the leaves and snip away. When gathering on a sloped area, I hang a plastic grocery bag on each wrist and gently pull the flowers off into the bag. Watch out for bees.
I dry the Linden flowers in wicker baskets that I set on a wooden clothes drying rack. The flowers dry relatively quickly (3-5 days) and shrink in size. To make a tea only a pinch (about 1 tsp.) is needed per cup because they do expand once they are re-hydrated.
Plant part used: blossoms and leaves
Edible portion: While all parts are edible, I like the flower buds, also known as limes, the most. The flowers in bloom can be added to decorate salads.
Preparations: Tea, tincture, baths, flower essence
Physical Health: Linden flowers on their own makes a soothing evening tea to help you drift into a peaceful night's sleep and also encourages sweet dreams. One of my favorite tea blends that I call Relaxing tea contains organic rose petals gathered from my meditation rose garden, organic lemon balm, and the wild linden flowers that I gather.
Psychological/Spiritual Health: To make a rejuvenating nerve tonic tea I blend linden flowers with equal parts of rosemary leaves and lavender flowers. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over the tea blend and steep for 20 minutes. I like this tea when I feel fatigue due to excess thinking, worry, or overwork. It helps to create calm focused sustained action.
