Linden is a tree of the linden family. In ancient times, linden and linden honey were highly valued, personifying the linden tree with the Slavic goddess of love Lada. Some even attribute mystical properties to the linden tree, thanks to which it is believed that lightning does not strike the tree. An ordinary linden tree lives on average 150-400 years, and some long-lived trees grow up to 1000-1200 years. According to research, trees of the linden family appeared on the planet more than 70 million years ago. Archaeologists have found some remains of linden trees in Chukotka, Northern Siberia. Currently, it is one of the most common trees in Europe, Asia and North America. In the old days, linden trees grew near temples as sacred trees. It was believed that when a child was born, a planted linden tree would serve as a talisman.
Characteristics and types of linden
Linden represents tall tree, up to 30 meters long and dense crown. The trunk diameter can reach up to 2-3 meters over time. Linden leaves are wide in the shape of a heart or oval. The flowers are fragrant, in the form of inflorescences. Linden fruits are nut-shaped.
According to researchers, linden has more than 40 species. Many species serve as excellent honey plants. Linden honey is one of the most aromatic and valuable varieties. The most resilient species is small-leaved linden (heart-shaped). This species can withstand even severe frosts down to -48°C.
Chemical composition
Linden contains many substances beneficial to the body. The buds, inflorescences and bark contain essential oils and phytoncides. Tiliacin, quercetin and kempforol contained in linden provide antibactericidal, wound-healing and antipyretic properties. The flowers also contain ascorbic acid, essential oil based on farnesol alcohol and polysaccharides.
Linden honey is rich in glucose, vitamins, macroelements and microelements, as well.
Linden blossom contains vitamin C, coumarin, carotene, micro- and macroelements, glucose.
Beneficial features
Our ancestors knew about the benefits of linden. All parts of the linden tree have beneficial properties. Linden color relieves cramps, pain, relieves inflammation and removes sweat and urine from the body. It is also useful to make decoctions and tinctures from flowers, and gargle when you have a cold. Flowers effectively fight harmful bacteria in the body, reduce fever, and get rid of phlegm. For teenagers and old people, linden is useful for its calming properties, which help with mood swings and nervous overexcitation. The inflorescences also help reduce blood viscosity.
Linden decoctions are used for fainting and headaches, which helps relieve convulsive conditions. Hot decoctions are used in the form of inhalations and gargling. In addition, linden blossom is successfully used in the treatment of rheumatism of the joints, seizures, kidney and gastrointestinal diseases, and fever. For a healing effect, take a decoction of 2-3 glasses per day. Prepare a decoction at the rate of 2 tablespoons of linden blossom per glass of boiling water. This allows for increased secretion of gastric juice, which facilitates the flow of bile into the duodenum. This has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and helps fight gastritis and liver diseases. Decoctions help get rid of swelling and weight loss.
Linden lotions effectively help with hemorrhoids, burns, gout and ulcers. Compresses are used to eliminate skin irritation. Rinsing with linden decoctions is very beneficial for hair, which makes it shiny and smooth.
Linden is very useful in the treatment of infertility, due to the content of phytohormones in it, which are similar in composition to female hormones. For conception, it is recommended to add linden to medicinal preparations with.
Benefits of linden tea
Linden tea has unique healing properties for the body. This golden-hued drink has a sweetish taste and pleasant aroma. First of all, linden tea is useful in the cold season, when you can easily get the flu and other colds. has an anti-inflammatory effect, stimulates sweating, expectoration of sputum and has an antipyretic effect. Tea also effectively removes toxins from the body. It has a beneficial effect on the urinary tract and is useful for urolithiasis, cystitis and inflammation of the bladder.
Linden tea is also useful in the following cases:
- To strengthen the cardiovascular system. The flavonoids included in its composition strengthen blood vessels and make them more elastic, protecting them from sclerotic changes.
- To eliminate pain in the body. Tea takes off headache, spasms, joint pain, and also removes swelling in the body.
- To activate digestion. Tea stimulates the production of bile, which has a beneficial effect on the digestive processes.
- To remove nervous tension and combating insomnia.
To prepare this aromatic healing drink, use linden blossom: pour one tablespoon of flowers into a hot glass and leave for 15-30 minutes, tightly covering the kettle. In addition, you can add it to tea. For convenience, pharmacies and specialized stores sell ready-made linden teas in bags.
However, there are several cautions regarding drinking linden tea. It should not be taken regularly as it increases the stress on the heart.
Linden for women
Linden has long been considered a female tree. This is due to the fact that it contains phytohormones that are beneficial for female body. Phytohormones are similar in composition to female sex hormones. They help a woman restore an imbalance in the hormonal system. Therefore, it is especially useful for women to drink tea, decoction or infusion of linden in the following cases:
- For menstrual irregularities. It is recommended to drink the drink, brewed twice: the flowers are poured hot water, insist, then keep on low heat for 30 minutes. This will allow you to extract the maximum amount of healing substances.
- For discomfort during menopause. Drinking tea daily helps avoid hormonal imbalances, which are stabilized by phytohormones.
- In the fight against neoplasms in the female genital organs - fibroids and myomas. Traditional healers emphasize that in order to obtain the expected effect, it is necessary to collect flowers during the first two days of the lunar month.
Linden tea is also useful for maintaining youth and beauty. With its help, you can get rid of extra pounds and rejuvenate the body.
During pregnancy, it is recommended to take tea and decoction of linden blossom. First of all, this will serve as a natural prevention during the period of colds and viral diseases for the weakened body of a pregnant woman. Tea can effectively prevent the appearance of edema due to its diuretic effect. Also, linden drink has a beneficial effect on nervous system the expectant mother, helping to fight mood swings and insomnia.
However, when consuming linden, it is necessary to monitor the body’s reaction, and if necessary, consult a doctor.
Collection rules
Linden begins to bloom in mid-summer, so it is necessary to collect flowers during this period of the year. Flower picking begins when the buds are half open. They pick off the inflorescences and leaves located next to them. Dry the flowers in the shade in a well-ventilated, dry place. It is recommended to store flowers in bags made of natural material.
When dried, the weight of flowers decreases three times. At proper storage in a dry place, linden contains beneficial properties for two years.
Losing weight with linden
Thanks to the diuretic effect of the plant, you can effectively lose weight and get rid of excess fluid in the body. It is recommended to drink infusion or tea when visiting a sauna or steam bath. This will help improve metabolism, remove waste and harmful toxins, and at the same time, even out hormonal fluctuations.
- birch sap – 450 g;
- linden leaves – 50 g;
- rhubarb decoction – 0.5 l.
Mix all ingredients and steam for 5 minutes. Leave to sit for 30 minutes. Take 0.5 cups before meals.
Linden honey is one of the most healing honey products. It appears transparent, light yellow or light golden in color. It is known that bees extract up to 25 ml of nectar from one linden flower.
The value of honey is made up of its amino acids, carotene, trace elements and. Linden honey eliminates inflammatory processes and improves the function of the liver, kidneys and gall bladder. Positively affects the nervous, respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Honey is also effectively used in the treatment of wounds, burns and even to improve vision. In combination with goat's milk, it is used in the treatment of eczema, cystitis and tuberculosis. This is one of recognized funds in the fight against measles, mumps and seizures in children.
Linden, as a natural healer for many ailments, is recommended as healing decoctions, tea or tinctures. Linden is especially useful for women. This female tree helps to balance hormonal levels, saturate the body with natural phytohormones and promote weight loss. Linden tea is especially useful during colds and viral diseases. Linden honey has a positive effect on the nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. People love to eat them not only for health, but also for beauty.
Linden is a long-lived foliage plant that is found in temperate climates and requires little maintenance. Linden grows both in city park areas and in garden plots.
The healing properties of linden have made the plant popular in folk and traditional medicine. It is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, quercetin, essential oils and tannins. Linden flowers contain kaempferol, which gives them diaphoretic properties.
All parts of the plant are used in everyday life. However, linden flowers are used more often. The linden blossoms in early summer, and then the flowers are replaced by clusters of small fruits.
Harvest linden trees when their flowers are just beginning to open. During this period they contain a maximum useful substances. Pick the inflorescences along with the adjacent leaves, as linden leaves also have medicinal properties. They can be used to make teas and infusions.
Linden strengthens the immune system, calms the nervous system, removes toxins from the body and improves digestion.
For joints
Linden has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. This allows you to eliminate pain symptoms from both muscle pain and joint diseases. Linden is useful for internal and external types of inflammation. Regular consumption of linden relieves pain from arthritis and rheumatism.
For the heart and blood vessels
Linden affects heart health. It reduces inflammation in blood vessels, reduces blood pressure, improves blood clotting and reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis or blood clots. Eating linden will help prevent heart attack, stroke or coronary disease hearts.
For the brain and nerves
The calming properties of linden reduce mental stress and anxiety. The plant affects hormone levels and helps to relax.
Some essential oils in linden help fight depression. They reduce stress levels, reduce stress on the heart and metabolism, and improve mood.
Linden tea is effective in the fight against insomnia. It will help you get rid of fatigue, relax and relieve tension. To enhance the effect, you can add a decoction or linden to the bath. Linden leaves relieve headaches and eliminate migraines.
For the bronchi
Linden is used to relieve nasal congestion and ease breathing. It reduces cough and soothes throat irritation. Antioxidants in linden eliminate harmful bacteria and microorganisms that affect the respiratory tract. It helps cure bronchitis. Linden-based products are used as expectorants to remove phlegm from coughs.
For the gastrointestinal tract
Chemical compounds in linden are involved in the treatment of diseases digestive system. Linden tea can help relieve indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, excessive gas, and irritable bowel syndrome. Linden is used to prevent ulcers, colitis and stomach cramps. It normalizes intestinal function.
For kidneys and bladder
IN folk medicine Linden is used as a diuretic, stimulating the cleansing of the genitourinary system.
For skin
Linden extract helps get rid of infections. The plant contains kaempferol and quercetin, which help fight aging, prevent the appearance of premature wrinkles and unwanted age-related swelling.
Linden bark is effective for eliminating skin diseases accompanied by itching and redness. It is applied to the affected areas of the skin to relieve irritation.
For immunity
Linden contains P-coumaric acid, which is a natural diaphoretic compound. It eliminates heat and lowers body temperature along with profuse sweating, and also removes toxins, salts, fats and excess water from the body naturally.
Linden tea is effective against various strains of bacteria and yeast. He helps immune system fight diseases.
Benefits of linden honey
The healing properties of linden are also preserved in honey obtained from its flower nectar and pollen. Linden honey is a high-quality variety with a rich taste and beneficial properties, including natural antibacterial, antioxidant, tonic and protective properties. It is used to treat respiratory infections such as colds, flu, laryngitis, pharyngitis or rhinitis.
The viscous consistency helps honey stick to the lining of the throat, forming a protective coating that prevents irritation and helps the tissues heal. Linden honey tones, increases energy levels, improves mood and appetite. It stimulates the secretion of bile and improves liver function.
Linden honey is used as a remedy to improve digestion, eliminate stomach irritation due to gastritis and treat ulcers.
For maximum benefits, linden honey is best eaten raw, without heating or processing. Heating destroys beneficial substances.
Linden recipes
The most common way to use linden for medicinal purposes is to prepare linden tea.
Lime tea
For this you will need:
- fresh or dried linden flowers;
- linden bark;
- boiling water.
Linden heart-shaped or common- Tilia cordata Mill. - a large, well-known tree from the linden family (Tiliaceae) with a slender trunk up to 25 m high and a wide crown. The bark is brown, smooth on young trunks and branches, and with grooved cracks in the upper layer on thicker ones. Linden has a well-developed root system with a deeply penetrating taproot, making it wind-resistant.
The leaves are alternate, heart-shaped, from 2 to 8 cm long and wide, pointed at the apex, finely serrated along the edge of the blade, with well-defined venation, green above, glabrous, slightly bluish below, with tufts of yellowish-brown hairs along the veins. Leaf petioles are long, tomentose, turning red in autumn. On coppice shoots, the leaves are much larger - up to 12 cm in length and width. Linden is distinguished by its late leafing out; it becomes green in our forests almost the last, at the end of May and even in June (only oak puts on leaves later than linden).
The flowers are yellowish-white, fragrant, up to 1 cm in diameter, collected in 3-15 corymbose inflorescences, equipped with a yellowish-greenish lanceolate-shaped leaf, fused with the axis of the inflorescence up to half its length. Each flower has a 5-leaf calyx, a 5-petalled corolla with a diameter of up to 1 cm, many (up to 30) stamens fused into 5 bunches, a pistil with an upper 5-locular ovary, a short thick style and 5 stigmas. Linden blooms in July (less often at the end of June), flowering lasts 2-3 weeks. Flowers are pollinated by insects.
The fruit is a spherical nut with a diameter of 4-8 mm with a rather thin and fragile shell. The fruits ripen in September, but fall from the trees only in winter, when the trees are already bare. Whole inflorescences fall off and are carried by the wind, and the preserved bract serves as a sail. In winter, after a thaw, when the snow compacts and becomes covered with a crust (infusion), the wind carries linden fruits across the infusion like small ice buoys.
Linden reproduces in nature mainly by vegetative means: layering and stump shoots. In many linden forests, the entire tree stand is essentially of coppice origin. However, it is not for nothing that the linden produces so many fruits; the seed path of renewal is also not alien to it. In forests where there are at least single linden trees, linden seedlings can almost always be found. Let us note, however: not everyone will guess that the shoot with two leaves, the blade of which is strongly dissected, belongs to a linden tree; these leaves are very different from those hanging on the tree.
During the first 5 years of life, linden seedlings grow slowly, then growth accelerates, and from about 60 years of age it slows down again. At 130-150 years old, the linden reaches its maximum growth and practically no longer increases in height, but its crown and trunk thickness continue to increase for a long time. The linden tree lives for 300-400 years; individual trees are known to live up to 600 years.
Spread of linden
Range of the heart-shaped linden- Europe and adjacent areas of Asia. It is widespread in the middle and southern zone of the forest zone and forest-steppe of the European part of Russia. Separate fragments of the range of this species are represented in Western Siberia (island linden forests in Kuznetsk Alatau and other places). It forms pure forests (linden forests), and is found as an admixture in deciduous and mixed forests, where the basis of the tree stand is made up of other species, such as pedunculate oak. Often forms the second layer in oak forests and coniferous-deciduous forests. Demanding on soil fertility, does not tolerate waterlogging.
It is widely grown in urban plantings along streets, in parks and squares, as well as in roadside plantings. It tolerates crown trimming well. In Moscow and other cities of European Russia, along with cordate linden, large-leaved linden (Tilia platyphyllos Scop.), native to Central Europe, is widely represented in plantings. It differs from our domestic linden in having larger leaves and flowers, as well as earlier flowering (about 2 weeks).
Linden is an exceptionally shade-tolerant tree species, so it can grow even in the second tier of dense spruce forests. Its growth is not hindered by shading. At the same time, the linden tree itself, which develops a large crown rich in leaf mass, provides dense shade, which prevents the regeneration of many trees and shrubs under its canopy.
Other related linden species
In the Far East there are local species of linden, equivalent in healing properties heart-shaped linden, morphologically similar to it: Amur linden (Tilia amurensis Rupr.), Manchurian linden (Tilla mandshurica Rupr.), etc.
Economic use of linden
Like any tree species, linden has the widest use of wood. It is light, soft, and although it is not very suitable for construction, it is indispensable for the manufacture of many carpentry products. Linden is used to make tubs, beehives, furniture, dishes, and drawing boards. But it is especially valued by artists specializing in such an art form as wood carving. Bizarre cornices, delicate images of fruits, flowers, cupids, which amaze us in the palaces of the 18th-19th centuries, were mostly carved from linden wood. And in churches, icon frames often owe their pretentiousness to linden.
No matter how unusual it may seem, waste from linden wood processing in the form of sawdust, stumps, and shavings can serve as feed for livestock, as they contain a lot of starch. Naturally, before feeding waste, it must be dried and ground into powder. Linden produces first-class charcoal.
Of no less interest to the national economy is linden bark, or rather its inner part- bast It is used for matting, mats, washcloths, and various wicker products. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, linden matting bags were the most common container in Russia. The bark of young linden trunks is called bast. The everyday shoes of the Russian peasant - bast shoes - have been made from bast for many centuries. Ropes, all kinds of harnesses, and various bags and purses were made from it. Bark stripped from old trunks covered the roofs.
It is difficult to find a person who does not know that linden is an excellent honey plant. In places where there is a lot of it, despite short term flowering, the bees manage to collect abundant bribes from the linden trees - one bee colony (or rather, one hive) can produce up to 5 kg of linden honey per day. This honey is distinguished by its transparency, unique aroma and taste; it is deservedly highly valued as a wonderful food and medicinal product.
Linden inflorescences (“linden blossom”) have long been used as a substitute for tea in Rus'. They are used to flavor alcoholic drinks. Young, newly blossomed linden leaves are also used for food. Leafy linden branches are excellent food for livestock. They are harvested in the summer, tied like brooms and hung under the roof of barns and houses. In this state they dry out, and in winter they are gradually fed.
One cannot fail to mention the beauty of linden trees. This breed has long been bred as an ornamental tree in Russian noble estates. Alleys were laid from it, many of which have survived to this day, although they are already 150-200 years old. Now linden is lined with city streets and boulevards; it forms the basis of many parks.
Features of the preparation of medicinal raw materials of linden
Collect Linden blossom during the full bloom of flowers. The collection period is short, because the linden tree blooms for only 10-20 days. It is, of course, advisable to cut or pick individual inflorescences so as not to cause damage to the trees. But in practice, usually with garden shears on a long pole, they cut off branches abundantly planted with flowers and pick off the inflorescences from them. With careful harvesting in this way, you can ensure minimal damage to the tree (you need to take only part of the branches from each tree, while trying to cut off the entire branches, but only their apical part). From one tree you can collect up to 1.5 kg of fresh inflorescences.
We remind you that under no circumstances should linden blossoms be harvested on city streets or in roadside plantings, no matter how attractive the blooming linden trees may look here. Air pollution from vehicle engine exhaust makes raw materials collected near roads and in street plantings unsuitable for either treatment or tea.
The collected raw materials should be dried without delay to prevent them from turning black. Air dry it in the shade, in ventilated areas, spreading it in a thin layer on a clean bedding. The inflorescences should not be overdried so that individual flowers do not fall off. Properly dried raw materials have a pleasant honey aroma.
Medicinal value of linden and methods of medicinal use
Medical raw materials with the trade name “Linden flowers, or linden blossom” are inflorescences collected together with the bracts. They contain essential oil, carotene, flavonoids, saponins, ascorbic acid and other substances.
In scientific and folk medicine, linden inflorescences are prescribed as a diaphoretic for the prevention and treatment of colds. They are part of the sweatshop taxes. Linden infusion also has bactericidal properties, so it is effective as a rinse for the mouth and throat for various inflammatory diseases; it is also prescribed for sore throats (it’s a good idea to add 5 g of baking soda to a glass of warm broth).
Excellent medicine is linden honey. Like linden tea, it is effective against colds and is very useful for many other diseases and ailments.
For colds, there are several ways to prepare linden infusion and decoction for sweating. 10 g (3 tablespoons) of raw materials are placed in an enamel bowl, pour 200 ml (1 glass) of hot boiled water, cover with a lid and heat in boiling water (in a water bath) for 15 minutes, cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, filter, squeeze out the remaining raw materials. The volume of the resulting infusion is adjusted to 200 ml with boiled water. The prepared infusion is stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. Take hot, 1-2 glasses 2 times a day after meals as a diaphoretic, diuretic and antimicrobial agent.
Two tablespoons of inflorescences are brewed as tea in 2 glasses of boiling water, boiled for 10 minutes, filtered and 2-3 glasses drunk hot at night.
One tablespoon per 1 glass of water, boil for 30 minutes. The solution obtained in this way also has antiulcer, desensitizing activity, stimulates the regeneration of soft tissues and the performance of the body.
Linden blossom has been known in folk medicine since ancient times. From linden flowers you can prepare a wonderful drink with a pleasant aroma and a beautiful golden color - linden tea, which has a healing effect: diaphoretic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, emollient. Tea perfectly quenches thirst. Just don’t go outside immediately after drinking tea.
They tear flowers with narrow yellowish leaves, i.e. whole inflorescences, in dry weather in the morning. Dry in an oven or in the sun. Before brewing, dried linden blossom is lightly fried to improve the flavor bouquet. To increase sweating, you can add the same amount of raspberries to the kettle.
Place equally 2 tablespoons of a mixture of linden blossom and raspberry fruits into 1 cup of boiling water, boil for 5-10 minutes, strain. Drink hot in one dose for colds and flu.
A hot 10% decoction of linden inflorescences along with honey or raspberry jam before bed is healing.
Since ancient times, linden blossom has been known in peasant life in Rus' as a blood purifier, analgesic, sedative, and diuretic and was used for rheumatism, gout, abdominal pain, kidney stones and gallstone colic, and inflammation of the female genital area.
The linden bark is crushed and mixed with cold water, the inside cleanses and moves.
The juice is squeezed out of the pimples that are found on linden leaves, and with this we will anoint the bodily uncleanness, and so the body will become clean and smooth.
The leaves of the linden tree, when they spread out anew, are boiled in wine and consumed, any outflow (swelling) of the interior will fall from it.
Ancient herbalists report that linden blossom is beneficial for hypochondriacs and people prone to strokes; tincture of linden blossom was used to cure “old epileptic disease.”
Not everyone knows that linden blossom can also treat nervous diseases. A strong decoction - 5 tablespoons of crushed inflorescences per 0.5 liters of water, boil for 30 minutes. - helps with neuroses, severe nervous breakdown, frequent fainting, convulsions.
But it has a more clear anticonvulsant effect alcohol tincture linden inflorescences, which is prepared as follows:
Fill the jar to the top with a loose layer of freshly dried inflorescences, without compacting them, and fill with vodka to the very edge; leave for 2-3 weeks. Take 7 teaspoons 3 times a day, and before bedtime increase the dose to 1 tablespoon. Unfortunately, stale linden blossom does not give the desired effect.
For children suffering from seizures, it is more beneficial to give fresh linden juice, collected in early spring at the beginning of sap flow.
Linden has a disinfectant effect, so an infusion of inflorescences is used to rinse the mouth and throat for sore throat.
Brew 20 g of linden blossom in 1 cup of boiling water, cool to temperature fresh milk, add 5 g of bicarbonate of soda (soda is dissolved in warm broth).
Mix well linden blossom with sage and chamomile in equal parts, brew 1 teaspoon of the mixture with 1 glass of boiling water. Apply the infusion every 2-3 hours.
Linden fruit powder stops bleeding from the nose and wounds.
For breastfeeding, ulcers, burns, hemorrhoids, swollen joints, painkillers and anti-inflammatory poultices are effective.
Boil 2-4 tablespoons of linden leaves with boiling water, wrap in gauze and place on the sore spot.
Lubricate or make compresses on the affected areas from fresh linden bast. It is good to apply to painful hemorrhoids.
A pulp of fresh leaves and leaf buds is used as an emollient.
Consumption and diathesis were treated with the inner layers of fresh linden bark, taken internally. You can also drink mucous decoctions from linden leaves or bark.
Dried linden branches are burned on a fire or in a stove. Choose coal. Crushed, 3-4 teaspoons are taken orally for bloating or diarrhea. When treating tuberculosis, take 1 teaspoon of charcoal diluted with goat's milk.
Linden is known as a remedy for stopping hair loss.
Eight tablespoons of linden blossom are poured into 0.5 liters of water and boiled for about 20 minutes. The resulting decoction is used for washing hair.
Masks and decoctions of linden blossom are an indispensable product for caring for dry skin. Linden decoction refreshes and tones it well. Concentrated warm linden decoction can be added to any nourishing cream.
Take 2 teaspoons of nourishing cream for dry skin and mix with 2 teaspoons of concentrated hot decoction of various herbs and linden blossom. The warm mass is applied to the face and neck in the form of a mask.
It is very useful, instead of washing, to wipe dry facial skin with a cold infusion of linden blossom (from dry raw materials). In combination with honey, this procedure has a rejuvenating effect. In combination with dill, it tones sagging, wrinkle-prone skin.
Recipes for therapeutic nutrition from linden
Linden seeds are very nutritious, they are consumed in the same way as hazelnuts or walnuts, from them an oil is obtained that is close in quality to olive oil and tastes like almond oil.
Fresh leaves are used to make salads, dried leaves are added to dough.
Salad of linden and dandelion leaves
Young linden leaves are washed, finely chopped and mixed with chopped dandelion leaves, green onions and dill. Season with sour cream or vegetable oil. Linden leaves - 50 g, dandelion leaves - ZOg, green onions, greens
dill, 1 tablespoon sour cream or vegetable oil, salt.
Young leaves are dried and stored in paper bags. Dried leaves, ground into powder, are added to the dough for vitaminization.
Linden flower jam
The flowers are cut off from the stalks, placed in a colander, washed with water and placed in an enamel bowl. Prepare syrup (400 g of sugar, 1 liter of water per 1 kg of flowers), boil it, filter and pour boiling syrup over the flowers, ensuring that they are completely immersed in the syrup. In 5min. add until the end of cooking citric acid(3 g per 1 kg of flowers). The finished jam is packaged in sterile jars and cooled.
Linden is popularly called unmercenary.
“Whoever approaches the linden tree will leave with goodness,
He will prepare the leaf and feed the cattle,
It will protect you from the heat and rain and calm your heart.
The bee will collect honey
The owner will leave with a broom,
He will put on shoes, dress, drink, warm,
It will drive away a bad cold.
People remember whoever plants the linden tree,
God prolongs his life.”
According to Raphael, the linden tree is ruled by Jupiter, the ruling planet for people born under the signs of Sagittarius and Pisces. According to Sedir, linden is ruled by the Moon and is healing for those born under the sign of Cancer.
Tilia cordata
Taxon: Malvaceae family ( Malvaceae)
Other names: small-leaved linden
English: Small-leaved Lime, Little-leaf Linden
The name comes from the Latinized Greek word tileia- , Latin cordatue- heart-shaped, which is due to the shape of the leaves.
Botanical description of linden
Linden heart-shaped - a tree up to 20-25 m in height, with a large spreading crown. Dark, almost black deeply fissured bark; young branches are red-brown, usually glabrous. The leaves are alternate, long-petiolate, heart-shaped, blades 5-10 cm long, dark green, serrated above, with a long-pointed apex, usually symmetrical, less often unequal, the width is almost the same as the length, the leaves below are bluish-green, with tufts of yellowish-green brown hairs at the vein nodes. Linden leaves bloom in May-June. The flowers are yellowish-white, fragrant, 10 mm in diameter, collected in 3-15 pieces in half-umbrellas. Each inflorescence contains a pale yellowish-green elongated-lanceolate thin bract about 6 cm long, fused with the peduncle up to half its length. The fruit is a single-seeded nut, 4-8 mm in diameter, spherical, tomentose-pubescent, with a woody or leathery shell, brown; seeds are broadly obovate, 4-5 mm long, shiny, red-brown. The heart-shaped linden blossoms in late June - July, the fruits ripen in August-September.
Linden blossoms last 2-3 weeks, even less in hot weather. Flowers are pollinated by insects, mainly bees. The fruits fall in whole clusters in winter and are dispersed by the wind. In the first years, linden grows slowly, from 4-5 years of age growth accelerates, from 60 years of age it slows down again, and at 130-150 years of age it stops completely. The lifespan of linden is 300-400 years, but individual trees live up to 600 years. It also reproduces by stump shoots and layering; In many forests, the linden tree is entirely of coppice origin. Linden is exceptionally shade-tolerant and grows well next to oaks and conifers. Has a well-developed root system. Heart-shaped linden is demanding on soil fertility and does not tolerate waterlogging. Resistant to cold, due to the relatively late leaf opening, it does not suffer from spring frosts. Every year fewer and fewer linden trees remain on Russian soil. In the forests it is mercilessly cut down, but in cities, among asphalt, it grows for only about 60 years. But during this time, it provides enormous assistance to humans: for example, a linden tree absorbs up to 16 kg of carbon dioxide in a year of its life - this is 1.5 times more than oak, and 5 times more than spruce.
Where does the heart-shaped linden grow?
Various types of linden are distributed throughout Europe. Heart-shaped linden grows in a mixed forest area middle zone the European part of Russia, the western foothills of the Urals, in Bashkiria, Western Siberia, the Caucasus, Moldova, Crimea, and Ukraine.
Collection and preparation of heart-shaped linden
For medicinal purposes, linden inflorescences (linden blossom) are used together with the bract - the fly.
Flowers are collected at a time when most of The flowers have bloomed, and the other part is still in the budding stage. Raw materials prepared at a later time, when some of the flowers have already faded, turn brown when dried, crumble heavily and become unusable. From one young tree growing on the edge, you can collect 0.7-1.5 kg of fresh inflorescences. The raw materials are dried immediately after collection under a canopy, in a ventilated room, in the attic or in a dryer at a temperature of 40-50 ° C, spreading in a layer of 3-5 cm. Readiness is determined by the fragility of the peduncles. You cannot dry it in the sun, as the raw material loses its color. The humidity of raw materials is allowed no higher than 12%. Store in a well-ventilated area, protected from light. When properly stored, raw materials do not lose their properties for 3 years.
Chemical composition of linden
Linden flowers contain essential oil, which contains farnesol, glycosides hesperidin and tiliacin, saponins, flavonoid glycosides quercetin and kaempferol, tannins, vitamin C (31.6%), carotene.
Linden leaves contain a lot of protein, 131 mg/% vitamin C and carotene.
The fruits contain about 60% fatty oil, close in quality to Provencal oil, and in taste - to almond or peach
Triterpene substances - tiliadin and oil - up to 8% were found in linden bark.
Pharmacological properties of cormatata linden
The healing properties of linden are associated with quercetin and kaempferol. Tiliacin has activity. Linden preparations have a calming, diaphoretic, expectorant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, emollient effect, stimulate the stomach, and moderately reduce blood viscosity.
Use of linden in medicine
Linden preparations are used internally for increased nervous excitability, convulsions, chest pain, abdominal pain, chronic cough, accumulation of sputum in the lungs, abdominal pain caused by liver blockage, kidney diseases, childhood infections, as an auxiliary diaphoretic for influenza and acute bronchitis, insomnia, externally for rinsing the mouth and throat in inflammatory diseases, for washing the face to give the skin elasticity.
Tea made from fresh or dried linden flowers is antispasmodic, diaphoretic, expectorant, hypotensive, and depressant. . .
Linden tea is also used in the treatment of indigestion, hypertension, hysteria, nervous vomiting and palpitations.
Medicinal preparations of cormatata linden
Linden blossom infusion: pour 2 cups of boiling water over 2 tbsp. l. crushed linden flowers, leave for 20-30 minutes. Drink 2-3 glasses a day as tea for colds, headaches, fainting, for gargling with sore throats and in the mouth during inflammatory processes.
Gargle and wash with a more concentrated infusion to soften the skin of the face.
Unstrained infusion with steamed raw materials or young fresh leaves and buds are prescribed in the form of compresses for inflammation of hemorrhoids, breastfeeding, rheumatism, gout, and burns.
Decoction of linden flowers prepared at the rate of 3-4 tbsp. l. crushed flowers in 2 cups of water, boil for 10 minutes, filter.
Linden charcoal. Coal made from linden wood is used for flatulence and diarrhea, in the treatment of gastric or dyspeptic disorders; powdered charcoal is used externally for burns or inflammation of the skin.
Fresh linden leaves help with - they cover the head.
Using linden inflorescences for cosmetic purposes
The pulp of brewed flowers is used as an emollient for poultices.
For dry skin, it is recommended to wash your face with a cold infusion of linden blossom. To refresh a tired face, apply a facial compress. Brew linden blossom and mint tea, strain and reheat. Pour hot into a large cup. Place a cup next to it cold water, prepare two soft cloth napkins. Soak a napkin in hot tea, wring it out, place it on your face and hold for two minutes, then replace it with a second napkin soaked in cold water. Change the compresses 2-3 times, the last one is cold, keep it for 5 minutes.
Linden blossom infusion: throw a handful of linden flowers into a glass of boiling water and leave it for 15 minutes, wrap it warmly, add 1/4 tsp to the infusion. honey Moisten your face and neck generously with the infusion and hold for 10 minutes. Place the remaining infusion in a cold place and repeat the procedure the next day. Shake before use. This wonderful product helps to rejuvenate the face, become beautiful and attractive.
Lotion for dry skin: infusion of linden flowers (1.5 tbsp flowers per glass of boiling water) mixed with 1 tsp. honey Wipe your face instead of washing.
For sagging facial skin, it is useful to make a hot compress of linden blossom, hops, and mint. Dried herbs are brewed with boiling water (1 tablespoon of the mixture per glass of water), leave for 15 minutes, strain. Soak a linen cloth in the hot broth, wring it lightly and apply to your face. Once it cools down, dip it into the hot solution again, squeeze it out and make a new compress. Repeat for 5-8 minutes.
Lime blossom decoction stops hair loss: 8 tbsp. l. linden blossom pour 0.5 liters of water and boil for 20 minutes. Cool, strain. Wash your hair with the resulting decoction.
For burns, use a decoction of linden blossom (4 tablespoons of flowers, pour 0.5 liters of water and boil over low heat for 10 minutes). You can also use a paste of linden flowers in the form of a poultice for burns.
The active time of linden is from 2 to 6 o'clock. It rests from 6 to 7 o'clock. The energy of linden is strong and soft. It causes a feeling of warmth and peace, relieves oppression and... It is best to communicate with the linden tree in the afternoon, in the summer, and always in warm, dry weather.
Use of linden on the farm
Linden is the main honey plant of forests and parks in Russia. There are up to 17 million linden flowers per 1 hectare of linden forest with a total supply of nectar of more than 1.5 tons. good years one bee family takes up to 5 kg of honey per day from a linden tree and up to 50 kg during the entire flowering period. Linden honey is considered the best for its taste and healing qualities.
In the Far East and Korea, buds and young leaves are used after culinary processing in salads.
Fresh young linden leaves are suitable for preparing spring vitamin salads.
If necessary, you can cook porridge from young linden shoots (the softest and most tender tips of the branches - no more than 10 cm). The twigs are cut into pieces of 2-3 cm, each piece is cut into several thin strips along the fibers, and then boiled in slightly salted water until completely softened.
Edible oil is obtained from linden fruits, which taste like nuts.
A paste of crushed flowers and unripe fruits is used to prepare a very acceptable quality chocolate substitute, however, the resulting chocolate paste is prone to decomposition and is therefore not marketed.
Linden blossom is widely used instead of tea; it has a sweet, pleasant aroma. Linden flowers are used to flavor alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Linden juice- Harvested in the spring, it is sweet and can be used as a drink or processed into syrup.
Linden wood is very light, white or cream, and easy to process. It is used to make tubs, troughs, beehives, dishes, furniture, etc., and burns excellent quality coal. Wood waste containing large amounts of starch is ground and fed to livestock. Bast (bast) is used for mats, matting, washcloths, and various weavings. In former times, linden matting bags were the most common container in Russia, and bast bast shoes were the everyday footwear of rural residents. They made ropes from bast, made harnesses, purses and other household items.
Used Books
1. Maznev N.I. Encyclopedia medicinal plants. 3rd ed. - M.: Martin, 2004
2. U.P. Hedrick, E.Lewis Sturtevant. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972. ISBN 978-0486204598
3. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Margaret Grieve Paperback, 1931
4. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. 1995, ISBN: 978-0888503343
5. Edmund Launert. Guide to Edible and Medicinal Plants of Britain and Northern Europe. Hamlyn, 1989. ISBN-13: 978-0600563952
6. J. Triska. The Hamlyn encyclopedia of plants. Hamlyn, 1975
7. Uphof. JC Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants, Second edition. Cramer, Wiirzburg, 1968
8. Johnson, C.P. Useful plants of Great Britain. 1862
9. Jean Lauriault. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 1989
The site provides background information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Consultation with a specialist is required!
Of course, everyone knows this ordinary tree called Linden.But is it as ordinary as it seems at first glance?
To find out as much as possible about him, you need to travel back in time.
At a time when dinosaurs were at the last stage of their development, a certain genus of plants appeared. The climatic conditions were completely suitable for its prosperity. This plant was so comfortable that in the process of evolution it spread throughout the globe. This became known through scientific research. During excavations in the northern hemisphere, evidence was discovered that Linden existed already during the time of dinosaurs, when the plant world was rapidly developing. Remains of fossil lime trees were found in the northern regions of Siberia, Chukotka and Spitsbergen.
Currently, scientists count more than eighty species of Linden. And there is an assumption that not all species have yet been found and studied by biologists.
Description of the plant
Linden is a broad-leaved plant, reaching a height of about thirty to forty meters. This tree prefers temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Linden is widespread in the territory North America, Europe, East Asia. Since it is a broad-leaved plant, it sheds its foliage in the fall and goes dormant in the winter. And in the spring, when all nature wakes up from winter sleep, new leaves appear on the branches, the color of delicate greenery. At first they are fragile and sticky. It is for this reason that the Slavs began to call this tree - Lipa, Lipkaya, Lipnut. Places of human settlement where there were many Linden trees began to be called, respectively, Lipovka, PodLipki, Lipetsk. Since Lipa is widespread everywhere, there are a lot of places where people of the same name live, and not only in the countries of the former Soviet Union. In Serbia it is Liplany, in Poland and the Czech Republic it is Lipno.Since Linden reaches a height of up to forty meters, then root system it should be powerful, which is actually observed. The root of Linden is well defined and has the appearance of a rod. It should be noted that the trunk of the Linden tree reaches five meters in diameter. Linden is a long-living tree. The time for flowering begins only at the age of twenty years. She lives for two hundred to five hundred years. The most resilient is the small-leaved linden.
Some of its specimens reach a thousand years of age. Linden can withstand frosty weather well. Frost at forty-eight degrees is not scary for her. It is not particularly demanding on soils, although it itself is a supplier of calcium, which is contained in sufficient quantities in its leaves and enters the soil when the foliage begins to decompose.
All types of Linden have a magnificent crown, which can be very easily shaped according to your choice if you have a Linden grove in your garden. The crown of a tree can be compared to the crown of kings; these words had a related meaning in the past.
You can guess that a special time comes during its flowering period. The linden tree is completely transformed, produces numerous flowers of a yellow-golden hue and its crown becomes golden. Flowers emit that sweet and alluring smell that attracts not only bees, but is also very pleasant to people. Linden blossoms in summer period, depending on the region, from June to August. During the flowering period, if you come closer to the tree, it will seem to you that the Linden tree is “talking.” It's the busy bees buzzing, collecting nectar from the Linden flowers. They fly for it in the morning or in the evening, when the sweet Linden juice is released most abundantly. This juice will later become the same Linden honey that you will buy in due time.
Linden honey
Linden honey is a joint product of Linden and bees, which is of very great importance. Linden honey is considered the most valuable and healthy of all types of honey. You will get rid of many diseases and improve your immunity with the help of Linden honey. Thanks to the content of numerous micro and macroelements, fructose, sucrose and other substances that are beneficial for you, contained in honey, you will replenish your body with the missing substances that are so necessary for the normal functioning of your organs.Linden blossom
But not only honey is beneficial for humans. Linden blossom, just like honey, will help you get rid of flu and sore throat, colds and inflammatory diseases of various organs. It is with the help of Linden flowers that women can carry out numerous cosmetic procedures, improving the condition of the skin of the face and the whole body.You can also use Linden seeds for medicinal purposes - nuts, its bark and charcoal obtained from Linden.
By the way! In dietary supplements (biologically active additives), Linden is often used as one of the components to improve your health.