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Can you eat linden trees?
Are linden flowers edible?
Can you eat Linden fruit?
Can linden trees be used as lettuce?
Are linden trees healthy?
Can you eat linden flowers raw?
Yes! You can eat both the flowers and leaves of linden trees. Linden leaves, for example, are excellent in a salad and the blossoms are a very popular culinary garnish and, of course, the main ingredient in linden blossom tea. The fruit is also edible and a good source of fatty acids.
Jun 3, 2017 · Linden trees are not only beautiful, but they’re also edible! Every part of the linden tree is delicious, and many parts are medicinal too. Wild foraged linden flowers gathered in June in Vermont. When I first started planning our edible food forest, I was adamant about including linden trees.
The leaves of this plant are edible all spring, summer and fall. They taste like lettuce but have a mucilaginous texture, young leaves are the most tender but older leaves are still good to eat. They make a great lettuce substitute in salads or sandwiches. Lindens are medium to large trees so there is no shortage of edible leaves.
- Botanical Description
- Food Uses
- Nutritional Profile
- Lime Recipes
- Herbal Medicine Uses
- Safety Note
- References
Common lime trees grow up to 40 m. The bark is smooth with a thick, fibrous texture and the leaves are large, dark green and heart-shaped with a paler underside. The tree blossoms in small clusters of creamish yellow flowers, which are heavily scented and attractive to bees. The fruit are oval-shaped and ribbed with pointed tips.
The flowers and leaves make a pleasantly soothing herbal tea. Dried lime flowers were once stocked in many French households to make Tilleul. The flowers also flavour liqueurs, lemonade and cordial. The leaves can be picked for salads and sandwiches.
Mature lime leaves were dried into a food supplement and used as a nutritious gruel during the occupation of France in the second world war.
Lime leaves have been used as a herbal remedy since ancient times. The leaves were said to increase urination, regulate menstrual cycles, dissolve blood clots, cure boils, treat wounds in the mouth, and relieve swollen feet. Lime sap was once used as a cure for baldness.
There are few known side effects of using common lime in food and medicine, but moderation is always advised. Seek advice from a medical professional before using the tree as a herbal remedy. The safety of consuming or using lime tree products during pregnancy or when breastfeeding has not been sufficiently established and, therefore, it’s best avo...
Cleene, M. de & Lejeune, M. C. (2002) Compendium of symbolic and ritual plants in Europe. Ghent: Man & Culture. Couplan, F. (1998) The encyclopedia of edible plants of North America. New Canaan: Keats Pub. Facciola, S. (1998) Cornucopia II: a source book of edible plants. Vista: Kampong Publications. Grieve, M. M. (1998) A modern herbal. London: Ti...
Sep 24, 2020 · Linden tea benefits can include having a calming effect, soothing the digestive tract, and acting like a natural diuretic and mucilage.
Aug 15, 2016 · Linden trees are another fast-grower, great for shade and full of flowers. The leaves of linden trees, especially young ones, are viable substitutes for lettuce in sandwiches and salads. Plus, being a good-sized tree, the abundance of leaves is very encouraging for foragers.
Jun 8, 2018 · For a real treat, look for linden trees. Every part of the linden tree is edible, and in the early spring, the leaves are especially delicious salad greens. If you can catch a linden early enough, the unopened leaf buds are a real treat.
