Common Name: Small-leaved linden

Latin name: Tilia cordata/ officinalis Mill.

Other names: heart-shaped, linden, limeflower

Description: The small-leaved linden is a tree up to 25-30 m tall with a uniform wide cone-shaped dense crown from the Malvaceae family. Young plants have lateral roots, and older plants develop a powerful uneven root system with many fibrous roots. The leaves are up to 10 sm. long, heart-shaped, dark green in color above, bluish-green with rusty hairs in the corners between the veins below. The flowers are yellow-white, fragrant, collected in inflorescences of 5-10. The inflorescence itself has a bract, which is a ribbon-like long leaf. The fruits are oval crumbly nutlets covered with hairs. The small-leaved linden is widespread in the forests and bushes at an altitude of up to 1500 m. It is a honey-bearing and medicinal plant whose flowering begins in June - July.

Part of the herb used: linden flower (Flores Tiliae) and linden leaf (Folia Tiliae)

Time of collection: The flowers of the small-leaved linden are picked during flowering in June - July. The collected material is dried in dry and ventilated places, protected from direct sunlight.

Content and properties: Small-leaved linden contains essential oil, saponins, mucilaginous substances, carotene, ascorbic acid, vasodilators, which dilate blood vessels and have the property of lowering blood pressure. It contains substances that calm excitability, which are applicable in a state of anxiety and nervous tension, as well as in aromatherapy. The medicinal plant contains the antioxidant quercetin, which suppresses damage to the cardiovascular system and the heart. The flowers of the plant contain antioxidants, flavonoids, tiliroside and kaempferol, which have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Medicinal action and application: Tea prepared from the heart-shaped linden relieves pain in skin irritations, muscle spasms, joint pain. Tea helps with colds and flu because it has a diuretic and diaphoretic effect. Linden tea has an antispasmodic effect and helps with migraines, muscle stiffness and menstrual pain. Raw young linden leaves can be used in cooking, and linden honey has a high quality and taste and is beneficial for health.

Possibilities to offer at the customer's request:

Vesselino Ltd. offers their customers the plant in the following varieties:

• small-leaved linden flower (Flores Tiliae) - dried whole, crushed, cut to a certain size at the customer's request, ground into herbal powder/flour

• small-leaved linden leaves (Folia Tiliae) - dried whole, crushed, cut to a certain size at the customer's request, ground into herbal powder/flour