Stories of Hope: Linden Plant Profile

I’ve written many plant profiles over the years, starting during my student days and I imagine I’ll be writing profiles in one form or another for many years to come.

In The Plant Ally Library, where you can find all of the plant profiles I’ve written, I’ve realized that I’ve covered many of the herbs that I use on a regular basis in my practice. While I still have plenty of plants to write about, I’m turning my gaze more and more towards not only herbs that my community is interested in (i.e. my patrons get to choose most of the profiles I write about these days), but those that I consider essential to my practice even if I use them less frequently.

Linden (Tilia x europaea) is one of those powerful periphery plants for me. I don’t use them all the time like, say, Milky Oat (Avena sativa), but I would miss them were I no longer to have access to their healing gifts. Linden is also a plant that I learned about first through the richness of herbal oral tradition and that first introduction guides me whenever I consider choosing them as an appropriate ally to work with in a situation of healing need.

I hope you get to connect with a plant through the power of community stories like I continue to experience with Linden. For me, Linden reminds me of the really beautiful aspect of becoming an herbalist where after a while of reaching out to plants to help the people you’re serving, the plants reach back to you through people to share a story you might not of heard otherwise.

Anyways.

Let’s explore some Linden magick, learn about their healing gifts, and meet this tree of community.

image via @bdv91

Linden
(Tilia x europaea)

Common + Folk Names : Lime tree, limeflower tree, linnflower, tilluel, common lime, flor de tila, lind

Element : Air, Fire

Zodiac Signs : Leo (Guardian), Aquarius (Remedy), Pisces (Remedy)

Planets : Jupiter, Sun

Moon Phase : Waning Quarter Moon

Tarot Cards :  The Emperor, the Sun, the Fives, especially the 5 of Cups, the Threes, especially 3 of Swords

Parts used : Flower

Habitat : Native to North America, Europe, western Asia.

Growing Conditions : Slightly acidic soil, moderate water, and part sun, part shade.

Collection : Harvest the flower in summer.

Flavor : Pungent, sweet

Temperature : Warm

Moisture : Moist

Tissue State : Dry, Tense, Cold, Stagnant

Constituents : Vitamin C, iodine, manganese, essential oil, flavonoids, mucilage, phenolic acids, tannins.

Actions : Antidepressant, antispasmodic, astringent, cephalic, cholagogue, choleratic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, hypotensive, nervine, peripheral vasodilator, relaxant, stomachic, sudorific, tonic, vasodilator, vulnerary.

Main Uses : When I think of Linden I imagine the first time I met this plant through someone who embodied Linden energy within themselves and their beautiful home. They were the type of community organizer, working quietly and steadily in the background, who glowed from within with hope even when faced with the monumental task of shifting resources back into underserved communities. They were tender-hearted in a way that felt so unfamiliar (and, to be perfectly honest, undesirable) to me at that time in my life, but I left their house with a gifted bottle of Linden tincture tucked into my bag.

Many years later when I began to know and embrace my own tender-heartedness and struggled to feel hope amongst all these feelings, I would pull that bottle of Linden tincture out of my apothecary cabinet, adding a few drops to my water, and remembering that I had been told that this was a joy plant, a hope tree, a place to go to when the sorrow feels like it is going to eat you up. So as I sat down to write about Linden, I found myself filling up with the stories that had been shared to me about this beautiful tree, whether spoken or by the written word, and it felt important to convey the connecting, communal magick of Linden by quoting at length a few of those stories in this profile.

It's not uncommon for a first encounter with Linden to be in some variety of "happiness tea" with other joyful herbs like Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Chamomile (Matricaria recutita), and Rose (Rosa spp.). Linden is a wonderful plant to work with where excess states of tension has led to feeling stuck and low. Indications for Linden include difficulty sleeping, signs of excess heat like irritability, impatience, high blood pressure, heart palpitations caused by stress, and a general state of agitation. There is a struggle to settle into oneself. The herb is a wonderful ally to folks of all ages and can be useful to add into tea blends for children (and adults) who are learning how to channel their restless energy in ways that help them feel good in their bodies. In general, Linden is a great nervous system tonic supporting us in all stages of life, from childhood, pregnancy, times of heightened stress, and old age and can easily be combined with other nervines like Milky Oat (Avena sativa) to help us thrive. I love the following tea and description by herbalist Deb Soule as it embodies the essence of working with plants like Linden  for longevity of body and soul:

“Motherwort mixed with lemon balm, linden flowers, raspberry leaves, blue vervain, fennel seed, borage flowers and leaves, and chamomile tea, relaxes and soothes the soul and brings happiness, strength of the trees, sweetness of the bees, and courage to those who partake of these herbs.”¹

image via @gervele

Linden is one of those warming herbs that work well for instances of excess heat (much like Ocimum sanctum), because it works to effectively move trapped, stagnant or overactive heat throughout the body. Hypertension, for example, is considered an issue of Tension and Heat, so a plant like Linden can be a great ally to work with. Linden helps to "relax the coronary arteries, easing palpitations and therefore helping prevent and treat coronary heart disease."² Linden is the plant ally for the chronic stress that underlies so many of our diseases and discomforts.

Other Heat conditions that Linden can help alleviate include fever and colds where trapped heat is not allowing the body to effectively fight off the infection. For states of excess tension, Linden is an excellent choice for so many conditions including tension headaches and migraines, colic, cramping and period pains, depression (someone wants the feeling of being held, combine with Leonurus cardiaca), dizziness, back, neck, and shoulder pain. Use for chronic bronchitis and stubborn coughs where there is excess phlegm. I love these bits of Linden wisdom provided by herbalist Stephen Taylor from his own teachers which help to illustrate the ways that Linden (or limeflower, as his preferred common name for the plant) moves energy:

“Both of my herbal mentors had a special place for limeflowers, Christopher Hedley used to say that limeflower takes the fat of the arteries and puts it on the nerves where it belongs, and my other mentor Julian Barker, used to treat microcirculatory conditions of the arterial system with his triad of herbs combining limeflower, hawthorn, and yarrow.”³

Linden is a helpful diuretic alleviating arthritis, gout, general inflammation, and renal disease, especially when prepared as a warm to cool infusion. The mucilaginous qualities of Linden help to soothe all sorts of bodily passages including the intestines, urinary and respiratory passages. Add Linden to digestive blends to help alleviate symptoms of IBS. Linden is a good ally for vaginal tissue health both internally and externally, helping with postpartum healing as well as genital sores in general. Soule recommends combining Calendula (Calendula officinalis), Milky Oat (Avena sativa), Comfrey (Symphytum officinale), and Linden together for a healing sitz bath especially good for wounds and sores.⁴

Topically, Linden is a fantastic skin tonic helping a variety of inflammatory skin conditions including hemorrhoids, boils and abscesses, burns, rashes, urticaria, and shingles. Use as a compress for inflamed and swollen eyes and as a gargle for sore throats. 

Kaditzer Linde circa 1840 - image source

Magickal Uses : In Greek myth, the Linden tree is Philyra, the transformed mother of Chiron, though as with many tellings of Greek myths it's a rather traumatic tale. I would seek out modern, feminist Hellenic practitioners who have explored the story if you're feeling called to work with this myth, as I suspect there might be a useful retelling about birth and trauma to be told (or something else entirely as I am not a Hellenic practitioner with a depth of practice to draw on). Following the path of Chiron, Paul Beyerl suggests that Linden is a useful plant to use in all forms of Sagittarian and horse magick.

In Northern European traditions, Linden is associated with the Goddess Freya and Holda, and important community and council meetings would take place at the foot of the Linden tree. As the trees grow over 100 feet tall and live for over 70 years, it's no surprise that Linden was recognized as a place of gathering and pilgrimage to Pagans and later Christians. The tree is sacred in Slavic, Baltic, and northern Chinese cultures as well. There is also a tradition of divining with Linden leafs, which indicates they may be a useful addition to divination rituals.

Linden is a plant of Jupiter and can be used in all rituals where you want to bring in Jupiterian energy of abundance, healing, and beneficial energy. Traditional uses of Linden include hanging a branch above your door for protection, using the wood to create amulets of luck, and in spells of love and longevity.⁵

I feel a similar energy between the Oak (Quercus spp.) and Linden - whereas the Oak acts as a doorway from our world to the otherworld, Linden feels very much like a tree that offers a doorway from the otherworld into our world. It is a place to gather to hear the voices of our ancestors, to invite them back into the circle of our living community, and seek their wise counsel. I absolutely love this story from herbalist Karen M. Rose:

“There is a linden tree in Prospect Park, in Brooklyn, not too far from my home, where I take my apprentices when we do plant-identification walks. Every time I gather them under this specific linden tree, we have a spiritual experience. The feeling of safety and of being home and held is undeniable.”⁶

The Linden Personality : Linden folks believe in the myth of the lone wolf - they are self-isolating, believe that they are impossible to be understood by their peers, and so reliant on their idea of being the outsider that they have created a very lonely world for themselves. Often there is a story of trauma in their background that has deeply reshaped the way that the interact with other people, often choosing to avoid them as much as possible. There is also a type of Linden folk who have experienced online radicalizing forces, filling their heads with mean-spirited pseudoscience (i.e. the alpha wolf myth) and a toxic outlook on life. These chronically online Linden folks went seeking community in digital spaces but find themselves increasingly isolated from the rest of their lives through these dehumanizing theories and beliefs. Of course, not all Linden folks are chronically online, but as a plant that has gateway energy that helps to draw us back into real and loving community, Linden can serve as a very welcome ally to those who are wanting to address attachments to their online world that they no longer want. In general, Linden folks avoid giving and receiving love because they are afraid of the vulnerability involved, and instead choose to believe things about themselves that keep them isolated. Working with Linden helps them to open up to community, seek help for their traumatic experiences, and feel connected to others as a social creature, letting their "lone wolf" persona fall aside so that they can rejoin the pack. Linden folk shine in their ability to repair fracturedness, helping those who feel they are incurably lost be found again.

Contraindications : Generally considered safe with rare cases of contact dermatitis have been reported.

Drug interactions : None known.

Dosage : Standard dosage. Hot tea is best for diaphoretic action while warm to cold infusions are more diuretic in action.

🌿

What sorts of plant stories have you been offered over the years? How do they continue to shape the ways you work with plants? Seek out these story sharing plant spaces whenever you can - I think it’s one of the ways that we keep herbalism a living, breathing tradition.

May your ears be full of plant stories, your visits with plant elders plentiful, and your ability to share your own stories abundant.

This post was made possible through patron support.
❤︎ Thanks, friends. ❤︎

📚
Footnotes

1. Deb Soule, The Roots of Healing: A Woman's Book of Herbs (New York: Citadel Press, 1995), 120.

2. Anne McIntyre, Flower Power: Flower Remedies for Healing Body and Soul through Herbalism, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, and Flower Essences (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), 220.

3.  Stephen Taylor, The Humoral Herbal: A practical guide to the Western Energetic system of health, lifestyle and herbs (London: Aeon Books, 2021), 311.

4.  Soule, 171.

5.  Scott Cunningham, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs (St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 2001), 160.

6. Karen M. Rose, The Art & Practice of Spiritual Herbalism: Transform, Heal, & Remember with the Power of Plants and Ancestral Medicine (Beverly, MA: Quarto Publishing, 2022), 25.