The tree has a wide hipped crown up to 30 meters high. The life span of a linden is on average about 150 years, but there are also centenarians with an age of 1200 years. The plant has a straight trunk, up to 5 meters in diameter, covered with gray fissured bark.
Linden blooms in June, filling the space around it with a pleasant aroma. Begins to bear fruit in August in the form of round nuts in a dense shell. The plant is frost-resistant and can withstand frosts down to -40 degrees. Heart-shaped linden is widespread almost throughout Europe, partly in Southeast Asia, central Russia, and European linden grows only in Europe. The heart-shaped linden is a part of mixed-deciduous and coniferous-deciduous forests. Selects well-drained, structured soils with sufficient moisture. Linden reproduces with the help of seeds. It is susceptible to certain diseases and has a number of pests - a soldier bug, a silvery hole, an unpaired silkworm, bark beetles, woodcutters, etc.
Linden is an excellent melliferous plant, and linden honey has been valued for a long time because of its excellent taste, pleasant aroma and its healing properties. During flowering, a bee colony is able to collect up to 5 kg of honey from one tree in one day, and 1 hectare of linden plantations can yield up to 1.5 tons of a sweet and healthy product. Linden honey is useful for various colds, in turn, it was used for skin diseases.
In folk medicine, all parts of this tree are used: flowers, leaves and wood. Our ancestors used the charcoal of wood for quick healing of wounds, as well as in the treatment of stomach pains. Infusions and decoctions were used for burns and as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. Decoctions and infusions of flowers of this plant have an excellent diaphoretic and were indispensable for colds.
Linden takes its rightful place in modern medicine. Linden flowers and bracts are popularly used as a diaphoretic, and infusions of them are used for inflammation of the oral region, throat and sore throat. Linden flower tea treats colds, flu, pneumonia (pneumonia). Infusions can be used (along with flowers) in the form of compresses and lotions. In case of disorders of the nervous system, it is recommended to take baths with the addition of linden decoction. In addition, linden tea has a diuretic effect and is used in the treatment of urolithiasis, cystitis, pyelonephritis and hypertension.
Linden, as a medicinal raw material, is harvested from spring to late autumn. In the spring, the buds are harvested, and during the blooming of the leaves - the buds with leaves. The prepared raw materials are dried under a shed or using dryers. The shelf life of such medicinal raw materials is about 2 years.
Linden bark is harvested in early spring, before the start of sap flow, or in late autumn. It is dried and then ground into powder and in this form can be stored for 2 years.
Flowers, together with unblown buds, are harvested, of course, during the flowering period. The collection is carried out for 10-14 days in dry weather.It is not recommended to harvest wet raw materials, since during the drying process it will change its color from pleasant golden to not pleasant dark. The flowers are dried under a canopy for 5 days. Therefore, the dried raw material has a pleasant appearance and aroma. You can use it for 2 years.
In the old days they said: "The pine feeds, the linden shoes." The remarkable qualities of linden bark and wood formed the basis of its widespread use. Newly harvested wood or bark was very soft, and therefore bast shoes were sewn from it, ropes, and various boxes were made. Linden wood was used even in military affairs: quivers for arrows were woven from linden bast, and protective shields were made. When dried, the linden wood and bark became very hard. Knowing this, our ancestors made kitchen utensils from it: cups, ladles, pots. In addition, the wood of this tree was used for the manufacture of toys, souvenirs, sleighs, and carved platbands. Baths and all kinds of accessories for it were built from it: brooms, ladles, vats for water. People visiting the bathhouse drank mead and linden tea from linden cups and tubs. Linden wood is unique in its properties. It is lightweight and very easy to process. In addition, barns were made from it, since rodents do not like linden wood.
Linden has a powerful and, at the same time, soft energy: and the ancient Slavs considered this tree sacred. She was personified with the goddess of love Lada, who brought happiness and beauty. Its energy is able to relieve people of depression and charge them with vital energy, create a feeling of inner peace.
In the old days, country estates were literally planted with linden trees. They were almost everywhere: in gardens, in parks, whole alleys were formed from them. In the village of Mikhailovskoye, a linden alley is still preserved, the same linden alley is located in Yasnaya Polyana, where Leo Tolstoy liked to walk. This is probably why our ancestors supplied a lot of linden honey to Europe, and in those days, such a craft as bee-keeping was very widespread. Nowadays, a wooden lining is made of linden, with which baths and other rooms are successfully ennobled. The lining has an unusual appearance, is durable and is not afraid of humidity, tolerates temperature changes well, is easy to install and has a low weight. In addition, linden wood keeps warm well and fills the room with a luxurious aroma.
Linden wood has been successfully used in aeromodelling. Perhaps it is still used today, although it is being replaced by lightweight and durable composite materials.
Linden flowers are used in modern cosmetology and are used for skin and hair care. They cleanse the skin, relieve inflammation, and have a calming effect. Decoctions and steam baths are made from flowers. They have a beneficial effect on any type of skin.
