Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Basswood, Tilia, Linden or Lime

[00:00:00] Hey y'all welcome to this week's show today we will continue our series on the medicinal properties of trees and today is every wood carvers favorite tree it is basswood now if you live in America you probably know it as basswood if you live in the mountains of North Carolina you may know it as a bee tree why is it called the bee tree because it has these sweet smelling flowers on it that bees go crazy over and if you're looking for a

[00:00:30] basswood tree in the springtime all you do is cup your hands to your ears and listen where you can hear the bees they're gonna be on a basswood tree now occasionally they may be on a holly tree I have known that to be the case as well but nine times out of ten it's gonna be a basswood in Europe it's often called the lime tree just like the fruit but it's not related at all you may know it as the linden tree that that's another common that's an

[00:01:00] English name for it Latin name is Tilia now we have I don't know 13 varieties that are have documented use in medicinal in herbal medicine three native to my region and at least a couple others that are naturalized we've got Tilia Americana that's just American basswood that's the tree that basically everybody carves their little you know gnomes and figures out of I mean it's like

[00:01:30] it's soft it's soft it's got a smooth grain it's just the easiest of all woods to carve it really is I mean it's you go to Hobby Lobby they got a ton of it right I mean people love to carve basswood we've got a certain particularly one to the Carolinas and it's Tilia Americana variety Carolina so I mean that's that one's all over the place where I live of course

[00:01:56] and there's white best basswood and that's another variant of Tilia Americana like I said if you're reading anything from Europe Mexico even you're probably gonna see it listed or Canada you're probably gonna see it listed as linden or lime but it it's what we call basswood I don't know how when or why the names got changed

[00:02:21] but it's been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years St. Hildegard von Bingen writing about Bingen sorry yes somebody got in touch and said the name of that town is Bingen von Bingen means that she was from the town of Bingen but it's not Bingen even though that's what looks like to me so St. Hildegard von Bingen wrote a person who ails in his heart should take the interior branches

[00:02:50] of linden root and reduce it to a powder he should eat this powder often with bread and his heart will be better in the summertime place fresh leaves of linden over your eyes when you go to sleep and cover your whole face with it it will clarify your eyes and make them clean if you are vergistiget I love that word that is old German for what we in the south would call all

[00:03:14] stoved up okay it means anything from arthritis to actually paralysis following a stroke I mean it means literally any like cramping any paralysis any don't you know aching joints you name it that's what vergistiget meant and she said if you were vergistiget you should take the earth which lies

[00:03:38] around the root of linden and put it on the fire pour water over it when it is hot and so bathe in a sauna do this for nine days and you'll be cured it's written around 1080 AD I mean this was really old medieval herbal medicine but it is true the basswood the lime the linden whether I mean I've never tried it like a sauna the way she said but it's often used in steams for essentially arthritic joints

[00:04:08] the main property of it is somewhat sedative and relaxing one of the most popular herbal teas in Europe is called t-san and it's essentially a linden or basswood or lime tree blossom tea very very popular depending on where the tree grows the sedative properties and pain relieving properties of those flowers can vary greatly greatly it can be like a mile almost like a chamomile that's sort of

[00:04:38] what the t-san is like or one that can actually kind of stone you out I mean there are some that grow in like certain parts of Mexico and Europe at different elevations that are strongly sedative and it totally depends you may have a basswood tree growing in your yard and the blossoms just are tasty they do they smell good they taste good you could eat them you can make a tea out of them may not have a whole

[00:05:03] lot of sedative property at all actually some are classified as narcotic believe it or not so Miss Greve wrote of the lime tree and in England lime flowers are only used in infusions made in let's see in infusion or made into a distilled water as a household remedy for indigestion hysteria nervous

[00:05:28] nervousness vomiting palpitations prolonged baths with infused flowers have been found good in hysteria in the in the Pyrenees they're used to soothe the temporary excitement caused by the waters I have no idea what that means what in the world is temporary excitement caused by the waters I don't know but uh she says that a certain doctor used them with great success against spasms so they

[00:05:55] have an anti-spasmodic property spasmodic with flowers of several lime varieties are used some doctors prefer the light charcoal of lime wood to that of the poplar in gastric or dyspeptic disturbances upset stomach in other words and uh it's powder for burns or sore places if the flowers used for making t-sun are too old they may produce symptoms of narcotic

[00:06:22] intoxication dad again we're talking about the european lime and then that's going to be at certain elevation certain varieties um i guess it was you know i'll probably quote him here in a minute uh yule gibbons who uh tried his best to find uh linden blossoms lime basswood blossoms with a narcotic property and he thought it was just a myth because he kept drinking the tea and it wasn't doing a darn thing

[00:06:49] it really uh is very specific to the area and the variety uh father nape wrote of the lime tree trotilia grandifolia and parmifolia that means big flower and small flower in latin it is almost solely the elderly people of the old school who still gather the once so well liked lime tree blossoms they are quite right and need only retain conservative and need only remain conservative with regard to their

[00:07:19] old custom lime blossom tea together with the older blossom tea are the best known teas for producing perspiration concerning perspiration as is usually carried on i have my own particular opinion which is not at all in its favor he didn't like to sweat by the way he liked cold baths on the other hand i willingly use the blossoms for the vapors which they produce and supply the place of perspiration lime

[00:07:46] blossom tea has excellent effects on complaints such as coughs obstruction of the lung and windpipe troubles of the abdomen which have their origins and obstructions of phlegm anything in the kidneys instead of lime tree blossoms i use the saint john's wort with or without an admixture of common yarrow and uh yeah this is a good substitute uh specifically for lung issues uh brother aloysius was his

[00:08:11] protege he wrote the blossoms of the lime tree are used medicinally for dizziness migraines indigestions chills nervous complaints this tea is highly recommended for old people in particular the infusion contains one eighth to one fourth cup per two cups of boiling water so that's an eighth to a fourth cup of dried blossoms to two cups of boiling water hot lime blossom baths are highly recommended for convulsions

[00:08:39] in children charcoal powder from the lime wood is best for internal use a cup of lime blossom tea in the evening with a half to one teaspoon full of honey is very depurative strengthening the heart it is good for the nerves and promotes sleep in addition lime tree is recommended for nervous complaints in general also for hysteria hypochondria migrates epilepsy indigestion colic coughs chills shivering and to avoid

[00:09:09] strokes as you can see the the the linden or the basswood very useful in herbal medicine and it really has just a broad and really ancient uh herbal use in america 1860s resources of the southern fields and forests uh wrote the the botanist wrote the flowers of our american tillia sent to me from the pendleton district of south carolina i find quite useful as the imported till you so this guy was french and he was

[00:09:38] used to t-son and he's saying i don't know if you know where pendleton is i've been there many times the the native basswood tree that grows there was perfectly a perfect substitute for french lime blossoms or linden blossoms he said uh it is quieting anti-spasmodic and i have repeatedly seen prescribed in france is particularly grateful to soothing and soothing to lying in women uh okay that's

[00:10:06] basically like cramping okay it has some anti-spasmodic properties that they were lying down because they weren't feeling well so that was a common term at the time quieting nervous excitement and pleasant to the taste i would particularly recommend a larger use of these flowers in the southern states it can be used wherever tea is required excellent advice for some reason never caught on um for some reason

[00:10:32] basswood has never been anywhere near as popular either in herbal medicine or as a tea beverage in the united states as it has been in europe and even in mexico i don't know why this seriously i can't answer that one so king's medical medical dispensatory american medical dispensatory of 1898 says the european tilia is a common domestic remedy in europe for the release of relief of many nervous and

[00:11:01] cat oral or congested disorders the leaves flowers and buds are employed and their property may be regarded as stimulant lentive tonic and nervine so both stimulant and relaxing that's why it makes a nice tea i mean you know that's that's what you want in a tea really the infusion is generally preferred and maybe the fusion is a tea by the way is generally employed and may be given to allay irritation and restlessness

[00:11:26] and promote rest and sleep the hot infusion is employed to check diarrhea from uh from cold and from in various forms of cold and cataral or congested conditions while either hot or cold it may be used in restlessness nervous headache painful and difficult digestion and mild hysteria the effects upon the nervous system are sometimes obtained by an enema or bath prepared for the flowers the infusion is prepared

[00:11:56] from 30 to 40 grains of the flowers to one pint of water that's basically the same measurement in technical terms that brother aloysius gave us it forms an agreeable vehicle for other medicines a strong tincture may be prepared other species undoubtedly possess similar properties so other species of tilia no you'll give them as i said wrote the use of dried flowers of linden or basswood for tea for making a tea

[00:12:24] like hot drink is widespread the french enjoy a number of herbal tea sands and that made from linden blossoms is one of their favorites medicinally it is reported to be calmative and restorative being given as a home remedy for nervousness hysteria insomnia and plants yep and cramps of course but plants for a future getting up to modern youth says medicinal use of american basswood a tea made from

[00:12:51] the inner bark is applied to burns it soothes and softens the skin it is taken internally in the treatment of lung complaints dysentery heartburn and weak stomach the bark is diuretic an infusion has been taken to promote urination a decoction of the bark mixed with corn meal has been used as a poultice to draw out boils a tea made from the fresh or dried flowers is anti-spasmodic diaphoretic and sedative

[00:13:17] diaphoretic means it helps break a fever that's the sweating that the one of them oh father nape was talking about it is used in a treatment of hypertension hardening the arteries digestive complaints associated with anxiety fevers colds respiratory catara uh catar i guess is the way you actually pronounce it in that tense i don't like that word i'm gonna go with congestion uh migraines etc

[00:13:42] lime flowers are said to develop narcotic properties as they age and so they should only be harvested when freshly opened an infusion of the leaves has been used as an eye wash a poultice of the leaves has been used in the treatment of burns and scalds broken bones and swollen areas a tea or tincture made from the leaves flowers and buds has been traditionally used for nervous headaches restlessness and painful

[00:14:08] digestion used with caution a decoction of the roots and bark has been taken in treatment of internal hemorrhaging and decoction of the roots has been used as a vermifuge to rid the body of worms medicinal use of carolina basswood in particular a teammate from the flower is antispasmodic diaphoretic and sedative and the white basswood which also grows around here a teammate from flowers is antispasmodic diaphoretic and sedative a decoction of the inner bark has been

[00:14:36] used in treatment of dysentery a decoction of the bark mixed with cornmeal uses a poultice in treatment of boils decoction of the inner bark and twigs has been used during pregnancy to treat heartburn weak stomach and weak bowels and of course anything has vermifuge properties probably should not be used in pregnancy at all it could be very dangerous the rodale herb book says linen flowers and leaves are an old household remedy for nervousness colds headaches and indigestion a hot infusion is

[00:15:04] used to check diarrhea it was also used in a hot bath to promote sleep linen flower wine is used as a tonic and stimulant to the appetite and digestion and yes you will find linden or basswood flowers in in many old wines and cordials and some of the various you know herbal infused wines like vermouth that yeah were usually made in monasteries to be medicine and now we're used in cocktails and such

[00:15:33] peterson field guide to eastern central medicinal plant says of american basswood american indians use the inner bark tea for lung ailments heartburn weak stomach bark poultice draws out boils leaves flower and bud tea or tincture traditionally used for nervous headaches restlessness painful digestion warning frequent consumption flower tea may cause heart damage so that's the first real warning we've seen on

[00:16:00] this botany a day says tillia basswood or linden uh linden trees are native to the eastern forest medicinally a tea of the inner bark is soothing for burns a tea of the dried flowers is expectant sedative and diaphoretic in effect and doesn't give any warning so uh there you have it uh that's uh that's linden this basswood that's lime if you're uh not an american um i don't think anybody in america actually calls

[00:16:28] it a lime tree because we have the fruit that is lime it just gets confusing really super useful tree if you keep bees plant basswood you're going to be really glad you did if you carve wood plant basswood uh but also an excellent herbal medicine all right y'all have a great week and i'll talk to you next time the information this podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition

[00:16:55] nothing i say or write has been evaluated or approved by the fda i'm not a doctor the u.s government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and there is no governing body regulating herbalists therefore i'm really just a guy who studies herbs i'm not offering any advice i won't even claim that anything i write or say is accurate or true i can tell you what herbs have been traditionally used for i can tell you my own experience and if i believe in herbs help me i cannot nor would i tell you to do the same

[00:17:23] if you use an herb anyone recommends you are treating yourself you take full responsibility for your health humans are individuals and no two are identical what works for me may not work for you you may have an allergy a sensitivity an underlying condition that no one else even shares and you don't even know about be careful with your health by continuing to listen to my podcast or read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself to your own research make your own choices and not to blame me for anything ever