Basswood
Tilia americana
Linden/lime tree (not citrus). Fragrant flowers are a traditional European-style tea also used from T. cordata. Young leaves a salad in some traditions. Not a citrus lime.
GROW → HARVEST → EAT → DRY → POWDER → CAPSULE → GUMMY — forms are not equivalent. Food first.
Identity
Also called: linden, American linden
What it is
Linden/lime tree (not citrus). Fragrant flowers are a traditional European-style tea also used from T. cordata. Young leaves a salad in some traditions. Not a citrus lime.
Edible portions
- flowers as tea
- young leaves
Absence of a portion from this list means it is not treated as food here — not that every other part is toxic.
Growing
- Climate. 3–8 tree
- Light. Full sun to light shade
- Soil. Average, moist
- Planting. A large street/forest tree.
- Harvest. Flowers just as they open, dry for tea.
Processing, drying, storage
- Drying. Dry flower clusters promptly to avoid browning. See also Make → Drying.
Preparation and culinary uses
- Linden tea
- young-leaf salad
Next steps
Sources
- USDA PLANTS Database — taxonomy and range (verify current entries)
- No USDA FoodData Central nutrient profile is attached here. That is not a claim that the plant contains no nutrients.
- State cooperative extension growing guides — verify for your region
Honest incompleteness is preferred to fabricated completeness. If a section is missing, no record for it is attached here — not a claim that the plant lacks that characteristic, and not that it was omitted as a secret.
Internal quality class B. Good foundation: enough unique information to exist as its own destination.