The Linden Tree in Polish Folk Medicine

Few things were more precious to the people of Poland than their physical health. Since doctors almost never came to the small, rural villages, it was up to individuals to treat themselves as best they could with what nature provided. The month of July brought the blooming of the linden tree (Tilia cordata) called lipa in Polish. 

     A view of a cluster of linden flower on tree branch. Knab photo.

     The tree was an important chain in nature's cycle to provide the country folk with a remedy for bad coughs or feverish colds, especially during the winter season. Actively collected and dried during its flowering season, a few of the flowers were placed in a cup, and covered with boiling water and allowed to steep.  This linden tea reduced a cough, induced sweating and  broke a fever, much to the joy and satisfaction of the individual.

     ​As depicted in the above photo, the flowers were often collected by housewives off the branches during blossoming time in July, dried and placed in cloth bags and saved for the winter months when colds, coughs and sore throats were much more frequent.  Photo: Facebook Group : Dawna Wieś na Zdjęciach. Kamil Dec.

     Considered a tree of inestimable value, the linden is one of the most frequently planted trees in Polish gardens. Laden with creamy white to light yellow flowers, the tree exudes the sweetest fragrance imaginable that perfumes the air across great distances. Sensing the nectar, bees come from far and wide to gather it, so that there is a constant buzzing and humming around the blossoming branches. Old, ancient trees, often with hollowed out areas in their trunks, provided prime places for the colonization of bees which also provided country folk with honey for use as a sweetener, for making mead, as well as utilizing the beeswax for making candles.

So beloved, the people of Poland named the month of July lipiec, after the lipa tree.

Thanks for reading!

For more information about how plants and herbs were once used in Poland: Polish Herbs, Flowers and Folk Medicine and Polish Customs, Traditions and Folklore, both by Hippocrene Books, Inc.