Smells of Summer: Linden Trees

As you walk around the neighborhood these days, you might notice the occasional sweet smell in the air. There are, of course, many smelly things in the area, but this particular smell is one of the good ones. American linden trees (aka basswood, aka lime tree) are in full bloom right now, and their flowers give off a strong, distinct scent.

The fast-growing trees are approved street trees in NYC, and have been popular in our area for years–you’ll find young, recently-planted ones along Cortelyou, and mature, large ones along Ditmas, for example. With so many flowers, they’re great for our local beekeepers. The flowers are also popular for teas and in herbal medicine.

Linden trees are big in several Eastern European mythologies–so any fellow Croatians out there know that June is named for the tree, as July is in Polish, and in Germany it’s the tree of lovers. So take a walk with someone you love and enjoy these trees!