Linden / Basswood

Tilia sp. · also: basswood, lime tree, tilleul

year-round 🗓 Flowers early summer; young leaves spring

How to ID it

Very common street tree with a distinctive asymmetric heart-shaped leaf (lopsided base).
Flowers hang from a papery, tongue-shaped bract (wing) — unmistakable once seen.
Fragrant creamy flowers in early summer; heavily buzzing with bees when in bloom.

⚠ Safety & lookalikes

Flowers and young leaves are safe and mild. Old / heavily-scented flowers can taste bitter; harvest fresh, just-open blooms.

The friendliest street tree to forage — nothing about it is dangerous, and it gives two things: a lovely calming tea from the flowers, and a mild salad green from the spring leaves.

Harvest

Flowers: pick with their papery bract in early summer, on a dry day, just as they open. Dry in a single layer out of sun for tea.
Leaves: the tender, translucent young spring leaves are the salad ones; older leaves get tough.

Prep

Linden flower tea (tilleul): steep a small handful of dried flowers in just-off-boil water 5 min. Mild, honeyed, faintly floral — a traditional evening/calming tea.
Young leaves go straight into salads or sandwiches — soft and mild, a good bulk green.

Notes

(Mark bloom timing — the flower window is short.)