It is not a showy tree, but it is endearing, bringing tranquility and beneficial shade, especially during these heatwave periods. Under its branches, the air seems sweeter. The ancient villages knew this well: a lime tree was often planted in the center of the square, near a fountain or a church, like a large living parasol intended for conversations, children’s games and summer naps.
In many countries, the lime tree symbolizes peace, friendliness, protection. At the moment, it blooms discreetly for our eyes, but it appeals to our sense of smell. Its flowers diffuse warm, honeyed, almost enveloping scents, which irresistibly attract pollinators. It’s especially in the evening that the scent is fantastic. Flowers release more aromatic compounds when the air becomes more humid and cooler. To accompany moonlit dinners, it’s a joy!
These flowers are being harvested at this time, when some have just opened while others are still in bud. We dry them gently, away from light, then we store them for the winter. A handful of flowers in a teapot, a little simmering water, and the house is immediately fragrant. But there is no need to wait for the “bad” season to concoct comforting evening herbal teas: prepare it as soon as you have picked it, let it cool and serve it with a few ice cubes, this is a way to quench your thirst while celebrating the arrival of summer.
The power of flowers
Linden soothes. Traditionally, we use the flowers and sometimes the bracts (the small elongated leaf attached to the flowers), fresh or dried. The virtues of this herbal tea? Relaxing, it promotes sleep and helps to calm slight stress.
Foodies are not left out. In addition to delicious linden honey, the flowers work wonders in cooking, in syrup, jelly, in desserts, liqueurs… The young leaves, tender in spring, are exquisite added to salads.
In the garden
If you want bees to find abundant nectar, and birds to find dense foliage, and only if the size of your garden allows it, adopt a lime tree. It is an ideal companion: it protects, nourishes, perfumes and lets nature settle around it.
Its roots extend, its shadow widens, its branches little by little form a real microclimate. Beneath it, the ground remains cooler, more alive. Ferns, violets or primroses thrive there. But be careful, it can reach 20 to 40 meters in height, remaining for several centuries. You should avoid planting it too close to the house, terraces, pipes.
A lime tree, yes… but which one?
Among the most familiar, among the European species, here are the small-leaved lime, Tilia cordata, and the large-leaved lime, Tilia platyphyllos. Coming from elsewhere, and adopted in our gardens, we particularly like Tilia henryana and Tilia tomentosa.
Exhibition: “Believe and heal. And deliver us from evil”
The lime tree must have a special place in the exhibition “Believe and Heal. And deliver yourself from evil” organized by the Paul-Éluard Museum of Art and History in Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis), plants and herbaria have a significant place (books, small treatise on Dionysian botany, inauguration of a new herb garden in the courtyard of the old Carmel chapel (visits, thematic workshops). Labeled “of national interest” and organized in partnership with the Mucem and the Musée du Quai-Branly-Jacques-Chirac, this exhibition explores the history of healing practices, their imaginations and the knowledge that shaped them, from the Middle Ages to today.
Paul-Éluard Museum of Art and History, in Saint-Denis. From May 27 to November 15, 2026.
