Mary Allen
Linden is a deciduous tree. They grow in all countries of the world where it is neither too hot nor too cold. There are about 40 different species in total. In Europe, only the summer linden and the winter linden grow, in some countries also the silver linden.
Linden trees have a very strong scent when they are in bloom. One likes to collect flowers and cook medicinal tea with them. It works against a sore throat and calms the urge to cough. It is also effective against fever and stomach pain. Lime blossom tea calms people down. But many drink it simply because it tastes good to them. The bees also like the linden blossoms very much.
In the case of linden wood, the annual rings grow at almost the same rate. Summer growth is not much different from winter growth. You can hardly see a difference in color and therefore also in thickness. This results in a very even wood that is well-suited for statues. Especially in the Gothic period, artists carved altars out of linden wood. Today, lime tree is also often used as furniture wood.
In the past, the linden trees also had another meaning: in Central Europe, there was usually a village linden tree. People met there to exchange ideas or to find a man or woman for life. Sometimes these linden trees were also called “dancing linden trees”. But the court was also often held there.
There are linden trees that are particularly famous: for their great age, for their particularly thick trunk, or for a story that lies behind them. After wars or after serious illnesses that had affected many people, a linden tree was often planted and called a peace linden tree.