Linden Flower
Linden flower (Tilia species) comes from the fragrant blossoms of the linden, or lime tree (no relation to the citrus), a staple shade tree across Europe. The dried flowers and their pale, papery bracts brew into a delicate, pale gold infusion with a soft honeyed sweetness and a light floral aroma. Known as tilleul in France and Lindenblüten in Germany, it is a classic caffeine-free evening tisane traditionally taken to relax and unwind.
Quality linden is mostly intact creamy-yellow flowers with their characteristic papery, pale green bracts (the little leaf-like wings) still attached, and a soft, honeyed, floral aroma. Brown, crumbled, or dusty material has lost its delicate fragrance and will brew weak and papery. The aroma should be sweet and faintly nectar-like, never musty. Because the flowers are light and fragile, they are usually sold whole and need a generous volume per cup. A pale, bright infusion with a gentle honey-floral character is the mark of good linden.
Linden flowers come from several Tilia species (notably Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos, and their hybrid Tilia x europaea), large deciduous trees common across Europe and parts of Asia. The flowers are gathered in early summer when in bloom, complete with their winged bracts, and gently dried to preserve the volatile aromatics. It has a long history in European folk tradition, where the infusion is popularly taken in the evening to relax.
Use a generous amount because the flowers are so light: roughly 1.5 to 2 g per 100 ml (a big pinch, about 3 to 4 g per 250 ml cup), water at 95 to 100°C, steeped 5 to 7 minutes, covered if you want to keep the delicate aroma in the cup. It is caffeine-free and does not get bitter, so a slightly longer steep is fine. It does not re-steep with much strength. A touch of honey complements its natural nectar note.
€6-14 (about $7-15) per 100 g; the light, bulky whole flowers cost a little more per 100 g than denser herbs, and hand-harvested or organic linden sits at the upper end. Caffeine-free.
Prices reviewed June 2026
Chamomile
Chamomile is the other great gentle evening flower; it is more apple-like and slightly bitter, where linden is softer, honeyed, and rounder.
Elderflower
Elderflower is the closest cousin in spirit, another delicate European hedgerow blossom with a sweet, muscat-floral aroma, often used in the same soothing, cold-weather blends.
Lavender
Lavender brings a stronger, more perfumed floral punch; a little goes with linden in relaxing blends, but on its own lavender is far more assertive.
The linden of linden flower tea is the lime tree of European avenues and town squares, completely unrelated to the citrus lime; its summer blossoms are also a favorite of bees, producing a prized monofloral honey.