Home Ingredients Linden Flower (Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos)

Linden Flower (Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos)

Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos, Tilia x vulgaris (T. x europaea)
Evidence Level
Preliminary
4 Clinical Trials
5 Documented Benefits
1/5 Evidence Score

Linden flower, also called lime flower, is the dried blossom of the small-leaved and large-leaved linden trees, Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos, and their hybrid. It is mostly drunk as a hot tea. The flowers contain flavonoids such as tiliroside and glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol, a soft mucilage, phenolic acids and a little volatile oil. The European Medicines Agency recognizes linden flower as a traditional herbal medicine for symptoms of the common cold and for mild symptoms of mental stress, based on long use rather than clinical trials, and its own review found no controlled trials of linden taken by mouth. Calming and sleep effects have been seen only in mouse and nerve cell studies. The one human sleep study used a blend with melatonin and had no placebo group. Like other herbal teas, linden tea taken with a meal lowered iron absorption in people.

Studied Dose No dose of linden flower alone has been tested against a control in people. The EU monograph lists 1.5 g in 150 mL boiling water 2 to 4 times daily (3 to 6 g a day) for adolescents and adults; the one human sleep study used a blend tablet with 150 mg Tilia tomentosa extract.
Active Compound Flavonoids (glycosides of kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin, mainly tiliroside), about 3% mucilage polysaccharides, phenolic acids (caffeic, chlorogenic, p-coumaric), procyanidins, and 0.02% to 0.1% volatile oil.

Benefits

EU traditional herbal use for mild symptoms of mental stress

The European Medicines Agency lists linden flower tea, liquid extract and tincture as a traditional herbal medicine for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress in adults and adolescents. This status rests on long-standing use, and the agency's own review found no controlled clinical trials of linden for stress or mood.

Supported by Trial 3

Traditional hot tea taken to promote sweating in the cold season

Linden tea has long been drunk very hot as a sweat-promoting drink, and the EU monograph recognizes it for relief of common cold symptoms based on that tradition. The only controlled human study the agency described was an open study of inhaled linden vapor with no statistical analysis, so this use is not backed by trials of the tea.

Supported by Trial 3

Sleep questionnaire scores with a linden, hawthorn and melatonin blend

In an uncontrolled 30-day study of 41 adults with sleep complaints, a nightly tablet of linden extract with hawthorn, vitamin B1 and 1 mg melatonin was followed by lower sleep and insomnia questionnaire scores. There was no placebo group and the blend contained melatonin, so the result cannot be credited to linden.

Supported by Trial 2

Calming and sleep-promoting effects in mouse and nerve cell studies

In mice, linden flower water extracts had sedative effects, a flower fraction given by injection had anxiety-reducing effects, and a linden extract increased non-REM (NREM) sleep and reduced brief awakenings. These are animal and cell findings and have not been confirmed in human trials.

Supported by Trial 3, Trial 1

Flower polyphenols that dampen immune cell signals in lab tests

In laboratory work, procyanidins isolated from Tilia cordata flowers lowered reactive oxygen species and the inflammatory signal IL-8 from human immune cells, and linden extract fermented with human gut bacteria lowered TNF release. These are test tube results, not effects measured in people who drank the tea.

Supported by Trial 1, Trial 2

Mechanism of action

1

GABA-A and benzodiazepine-site activity (lab data)

In mouse brain cells, linden bud extracts opened the same chloride channel as the calming messenger GABA, and the effect was largely blocked by GABA-A and benzodiazepine site blockers. An earlier study found flower fractions that bind the benzodiazepine site. Whether tea reaches the brain in active amounts is unknown.

2

Flavonoids, procyanidins and mucilage in the flowers

The flowers carry flavonoid glycosides, mainly tiliroside, along with procyanidins, phenolic acids and about 3% mucilage polysaccharides built from sugars such as arabinose, galactose and rhamnose. These are the compounds studied in the lab work above; the EMA found no human pharmacology data on any of them.

3

Breakdown by gut bacteria

When linden flower extract was incubated with stool samples from healthy donors, gut bacteria turned its constituents into about 20 metabolites and the bacterial mix shifted toward short-chain fatty acid producers. This suggests the compounds people absorb after drinking linden may differ from those in the cup.

4

Weak acetylcholinesterase inhibition by flower alkaloids (lab data)

Newly identified piperidine and dihydropyrrole alkaloids from lime flowers weakly inhibited acetylcholinesterase and strengthened acetylcholine-driven airway muscle contraction in mouse tissue, while a whole flower extract had no effect. Their relevance to drinking the tea is unknown.

Clinical trials

1
Herb Teas and Iron Absorption from a Bread Meal
PubMed

Controlled human absorption study measuring incorporation of radiolabeled iron into red blood cells after a bread meal taken with water or with test beverages, including lime flower (Tilia cordata) tea (Hurrell et al. 1999, Br J Nutr)

Adult human volunteers; each beverage was compared with a water control meal.

Lime flower tea reduced nonheme iron absorption from the meal by 52% compared with water. All the polyphenol-containing drinks inhibited iron absorption, depending on their polyphenol content, from 47% for chamomile to 79 to 94% for black tea. This is a nutrition and safety finding, not a benefit.

2
Linden, Hawthorn, Vitamin B1 and Melatonin Blend for Sleep: Uncontrolled Pilot
PubMed

Open, uncontrolled pilot study of a nightly tablet containing Tilia tomentosa extract (150 mg), hawthorn extract (150 mg), vitamin B1 and 1 mg melatonin for 30 days, with an optional further 30 days; product supplied by the maker (De Simone et al. 2023, Med Sci (Basel))

41 adults (mean age 45.3) with sleep disturbance (mean PSQI 8.2); 11 continued for a second month.

PSQI fell 22.4%, ISI 19.6% and DASS-21 total distress 19.5% from baseline after 30 days. There was no placebo group, and the blend included melatonin, so neither expectation effects nor the other ingredients can be ruled out.

3
Inhaled Linden Vapor in Catarrhal Illness: Open Controlled Report
PubMed

Open controlled study summarized by the European Medicines Agency from a WHO monograph: inhalation of vapor from linden flower in hot water for 10 minutes versus vapor from colored water; inhaled, not drunk (European Medicines Agency HMPC 2012, Assessment report)

30 patients with uncomplicated catarrhal disease, 15 per group.

All patients reported some subjective relief, with further improvement described in the linden group. No statistical analysis was done, and the agency concluded an objective assessment is not possible. The agency described no controlled trial of oral linden tea and called for rigorous randomized controlled trials.

4
Tilia tomentosa Bud Macerate for Sleep: Registered Placebo-Controlled Trial
PubMed

Randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled parallel trial registered in 2023 of a concentrated Tilia tomentosa bud glycerin macerate (a gemmotherapy product), 1 drop per 10 kg body weight at bedtime for 15 days (Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS 2023, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06061666)

Estimated 80 women with sleep problems during hormonal therapy after breast cancer surgery.

No results have been posted or published; the registry status is unknown, last listed as recruiting. Until results appear, it adds no evidence either way.

Side effects and drug interactions

Common Potential side effects

The EU monograph lists no known side effects at traditional doses, but it also notes that no adequate genotoxicity, reproductive or cancer safety tests have been done.
Allergy: hypersensitivity to linden is a reason not to use it; linden pollen is a recognized allergen, and one occupational allergy case involved the dried flowers.
Infants: loose (unpackaged) linden flowers sampled in Argentina sometimes carried Clostridium botulinum spores, so do not give homemade linden tea to babies. The EU monograph does not recommend linden for children under 4, or under 12 for stress.
Iron: linden tea drunk with a bread meal cut nonheme iron absorption by about half in a human study. Drinking it between meals is a practical precaution for people with low iron, not a tested finding.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the EU monograph does not recommend use because safety has not been established.
Linden material can carry traces of caffeine, up to about 0.2 mg per cup in one analysis, a very small fraction of the caffeine in coffee.

Important Drug interactions

The EU monograph reports no known interactions, and no human interaction studies of linden have been published.
Iron supplements and iron-rich meals: linden tea lowered nonheme iron absorption from a meal in people, so taking iron at a different time from linden tea is a sensible precaution, though spacing them apart has not been tested.
Sedatives, sleep medicines and alcohol: linden extracts were sedative in mice; added drowsiness has not been tested in people, so ask a pharmacist before combining.
Some linden sleep blends also contain melatonin or other herbs; check the label for ingredients that carry their own interactions.

Explore Other Ingredients

Sleep Health
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland that signals biological darkness and helps…
Sleep Health
Valerian Root
Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis) is a traditional herb taken for relaxation and occas…
Metabolic Health
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral and a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems, includin…

Frequently asked questions about Linden Flower (Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos)

Is lime flower tea made from the citrus lime?

No. Lime flower is the British and European name for the linden tree flower, Tilia, the same plant this page covers. The EU monograph uses "lime flower" for Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos and their hybrid. It is not the green citrus fruit.

Can linden tea be given to a baby?

It is best avoided. Linden tea is a traditional home remedy given to infants in some countries, but a survey found Clostridium botulinum spores in 3% of loose linden flower samples (none in tea bags), which the authors flagged as a potential risk factor for infant botulism. The EU monograph does not recommend linden under age 4.

Does linden tea interfere with iron from food?

Yes, in one human study. Lime flower tea served with a bread meal reduced iron absorption by 52% compared with water, similar to chamomile tea (47%) and less than black tea. Drinking it between meals is a practical precaution for people who need more iron, though that timing has not itself been tested.

What are linden bud (gemmotherapy) drops?

They are glycerin macerates made from the buds of a different species, Tilia tomentosa, rather than dried flowers. Bud extracts acted on GABA-A receptors in mouse nerve cells and changed anxiety-like behavior in mice. A placebo-controlled human sleep trial was registered in 2023 but has posted no results.

Does linden flower tea contain caffeine?

Sometimes, in tiny amounts. A Swiss food control lab found caffeine in linden samples, ranging from traces to 226 micrograms per prepared cup. That is a very small fraction of the caffeine in a cup of coffee or black tea.

What is Linden Flower?

Linden flower, also called lime flower, is the dried blossom of the small-leaved and large-leaved linden trees, Tilia cordata and Tilia platyphyllos, and their hybrid. It is mostly drunk as a hot tea.

What is Linden Flower used for?

NutraSmarts does not list Linden Flower under a health category. What the research covers: The European Medicines Agency lists linden flower tea, liquid extract and tincture as a traditional herbal medicine for the relief of mild symptoms of mental stress in adults and adolescents.

What is the recommended dosage of Linden Flower?

No dose of linden flower alone has been tested against a control in people. The EU monograph lists 1.5 g in 150 mL boiling water 2 to 4 times daily (3 to 6 g a day) for adolescents and adults; the one human sleep study used a blend tablet with 150 mg Tilia tom… Always follow the product label and check with a healthcare provider for personal advice.

Is Linden Flower safe, and does it have side effects?

Side effects and cautions reported for Linden Flower include: The EU monograph lists no known side effects at traditional doses, but it also notes that no adequate genotoxicity, reproductive or cancer safety tests have been done. It may also interact with some medications. Linden Flower is not right for everyone, so check with a healthcare provider first if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medication.

Does Linden Flower interact with any medications?

Possible interactions include: The EU monograph reports no known interactions, and no human interaction studies of linden have been published. Iron supplements and iron-rich meals: linden tea lowered nonheme iron absorption from a meal in people, so taking iron at a different time from linden tea is a sensible… If you take prescription medication, check with a pharmacist or doctor before using it.

How strong is the scientific evidence for Linden Flower?

NutraSmarts rates the evidence for Linden Flower as Preliminary (1 out of 5). It is backed by 4 study summaries and 16 cited references summarized on this page. A higher rating reflects more, larger, and better-designed human studies.

References(16 citations)

Evidence ratings on NutraSmarts are based on the totality of human clinical research, with emphasis on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews. The references below directly support claims made throughout this page.

  1. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Community herbal monograph on Tilia cordata Miller, Tilia platyphyllos Scop., Tilia x vulgaris Heyne or their mixtures, flos (EMA/HMPC/337066/2011). European Medicines Agency. 2012;Final, adopted 22 May 2012; periodic review in 2022 found no revision needed (EMA/HMPC/176303/2022)..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed. EU regulatory monograph: traditional herbal medicinal product for the relief of symptoms of common cold and of mild symptoms of mental stress, based exclusively on long-standing use. Tea 1.5 g in 150 ml boiling water 2 to 4 times daily (3 to 6 g a day) for adolescents, adults and the elderly; liquid extract 2 to 4 ml and tincture 1 to 2 ml a day. Not recommended under 4 years (cold) or under 12 years (stress), or in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Hypersensitivity is a contraindication; no interactions reported; no undesirable effects known. The 2022 periodic review found no new data requiring revision.
  2. European Medicines Agency, Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). Assessment report on Tilia cordata Miller, Tilia platyphyllos Scop., Tilia x vulgaris Heyne or their mixtures, flos (EMA/HMPC/337067/2011). European Medicines Agency. 2012;Final, 22 May 2012..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed. Lists constituents (glycosides of kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin, mainly tiliroside; about 3% mucilage polysaccharides; caffeic, chlorogenic and p-coumaric acids; 0.02% to 0.1% volatile oil; condensed tannin). States there is a lack of controlled clinical studies and no human pharmacology data, so efficacy is plausible but not proven. Describes an open study of 15 versus 15 patients inhaling linden vapor or colored water vapor with no statistical analysis. Reports pollen sensitization and one occupational allergy case, and notes that an old caution about heart disease has no known scientific basis.
  3. Hurrell RF, Reddy M, Cook JD. Inhibition of non-haem iron absorption in man by polyphenolic-containing beverages. Br J Nutr. 1999;81(4):289-95..PubMedUsed to support: Human iron absorption study using radiolabeled iron in a bread meal: beverages with 20 to 50 mg polyphenols per serving cut nonheme iron absorption by 50 to 70% versus water, and lime flower (Tilia cordata) tea cut it by 52%. Black tea, peppermint and the other herb teas tested also inhibited absorption.
  4. De Simone M, De Feo R, Choucha A, Ciaglia E, Fezeu F. Enhancing Sleep Quality: Assessing the Efficacy of a Fixed Combination of Linden, Hawthorn, Vitamin B1, and Melatonin. Med Sci (Basel). 2023;12(1):2. doi: 10.3390/medsci12010002.PubMedUsed to support: Uncontrolled pilot study in 41 adults with sleep complaints taking a nightly tablet of Tilia tomentosa extract (150 mg) with hawthorn, vitamin B1 and 1 mg melatonin for 30 days: PSQI fell 22.4% and ISI 19.6% from baseline. No placebo group; the maker supplied the product, and the linden contribution cannot be separated.
  5. Viola H, Wolfman C, Levi de Stein M, Wasowski C, Peña C, Medina JH, Paladini AC. Isolation of pharmacologically active benzodiazepine receptor ligands from Tilia tomentosa (Tiliaceae). J Ethnopharmacol. 1994;44(1):47-53. doi: 10.1016/0378-8741(94)90098-1.PubMedUsed to support: Lab and mouse study of Tilia tomentosa flower extracts: kaempferol was a weak benzodiazepine receptor ligand with no effect in mice, while an unidentified, probably flavonoid fraction given by injection had anxiolytic-like effects in maze and holeboard tests without changing locomotion.
  6. Coleta M, Campos MG, Cotrim MD, Proença da Cunha A. Comparative evaluation of Melissa officinalis L., Tilia europaea L., Passiflora edulis Sims. and Hypericum perforatum L. in the elevated plus maze anxiety test. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2001;34 Suppl 1:S20-1. doi: 10.1055/s-2001-15460.PubMedUsed to support: Mouse study of lyophilized aqueous extracts prepared like folk infusions: Tilia europaea at 10 to 100 mg/kg raised immobility and lowered rearing, read as a sedative effect, with no change at lower doses; it did not show the anxiolytic pattern seen with Hypericum.
  7. Turrini F, Vallarino G, Cisani F, Donno D, Beccaro GL, Zunin P, Boggia R, Pittaluga A, Grilli M. Use of an Animal Model to Evaluate Anxiolytic Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Tilia tomentosa Moench Bud Extracts. Nutrients. 2020;12(11):3328. doi: 10.3390/nu12113328.PubMedUsed to support: Mouse study: 21 days of oral Tilia tomentosa bud glyceric extract (a gemmotherapy-type product) changed behavior in light dark and hole board tests in a way the authors read as anxiolytic, with responses that differed by sex and age; body weight gain and water intake were unchanged.
  8. Allio A, Calorio C, Franchino C, Gavello D, Carbone E, Marcantoni A. Bud extracts from Tilia tomentosa Moench inhibit hippocampal neuronal firing through GABAA and benzodiazepine receptors activation. J Ethnopharmacol. 2015;172:288-96. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.06.016.PubMedUsed to support: Cell study in mouse hippocampal neurons: Tilia tomentosa bud extracts activated a chloride current through GABA-A and benzodiazepine receptor sites (largely blocked by bicuculline, picrotoxin and flumazenil) and dampened network firing.
  9. Di Soccio A, Canova M, Rizzo N, Lodovichi C. Tilia Tomentosa promotes sleep, preserving sleep structure. NPJ Biol Timing Sleep. 2026;3(1):41. doi: 10.1038/s44323-026-00105-0.PubMedUsed to support: Mouse study with chronic EEG recording: Tilia tomentosa extract raised NREM sleep and reduced wakefulness in the active night hours and reduced brief awakenings in the rest phase, without disturbing overall sleep structure; the authors call the evidence preliminary.
  10. Czerwińska ME, Dudek MK, Pawłowska KA, Pruś A, Ziaja M, Granica S. The influence of procyanidins isolated from small-leaved lime flowers (Tilia cordata Mill.) on human neutrophils. Fitoterapia. 2018;127:115-122. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2018.02.018.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study: oligomeric procyanidins and epicatechin isolated from Tilia cordata flowers lowered reactive oxygen species production by stimulated human neutrophils at 5 to 20 µM, and most lowered IL-8 release.
  11. Kruk A, Granica S, Popowski D, Malinowska N, Piwowarski JP. Tiliae flos metabolites and their beneficial influence on human gut microbiota biodiversity ex vivo. J Ethnopharmacol. 2022;294:115355. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2022.115355.PubMedUsed to support: Ex vivo study incubating linden flower extract with fecal samples from 5 healthy donors: gut bacteria produced 20 metabolites, the microbiota composition shifted toward short-chain fatty acid producers without dysbiosis, and the extract and metabolites lowered TNF-α release by stimulated neutrophils.
  12. Hake A, Symma N, Esch S, Hensel A, Düfer M. Alkaloids from Lime Flower (Tiliae flos) Exert Spasmodic Activity on Murine Airway Smooth Muscle Involving Acetylcholinesterase. Planta Med. 2022;88(8):639-649. doi: 10.1055/a-1534-3766.PubMedUsed to support: Lab study: a hydroacetonic lime flower extract showed no activity on mouse airway muscle, but enriched alkaloid fractions boosted acetylcholine contractions by about 30%; the isolated alkaloids were weak acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, about 100 times less potent than galanthamine. The compounds are the subject of a patent application.
  13. Bianco MI, Lúquez C, De Jong LI, Fernández RA. Linden flower (Tilia spp.) as potential vehicle of Clostridium botulinum spores in the transmission of infant botulism. Rev Argent Microbiol. 2009;41(4):232-6..PubMedUsed to support: Microbiology survey in Argentina: Clostridium botulinum spores were found in 3% of 100 loose linden flower samples (30 spores per 100 g) and in none of 100 tea-bag samples; the authors note linden tea is given to infants as a sedative and call it a potential risk factor for infant botulism.
  14. Mathona C, Edder P, Christen P, Bieri S. Unexpected occurrence of caffeine in sleep-inducing herbal teas. Chimia (Aarau). 2014;68(10):705-9. doi: 10.2533/chimia.2014.705.PubMedUsed to support: Food control analysis: caffeine was detected in linden (Tilia spp.) material at traces to 110 mg/kg, giving traces to 226 µg per cup of prepared sleep tea.
  15. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Linden. Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). 2026;Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006-. Updated 2026 Oct 15..PubMedUsed to support: NIH lactation database entry: linden contains flavonoids, terpenoids, p-coumaric acid, galactomannan mucilage, oligomeric procyanidins and epicatechin; some women in Türkiye use it to increase milk supply, but no valid clinical trials support this; linden is listed as GRAS in foods by the FDA.
  16. Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS. TILIA for inSomnia During HOrmonal Therapy in Breast Cancer Survivors (NCT06061666). ClinicalTrials.gov. 2023;First posted 29 Sep 2023; last update 29 Sep 2023; status unknown (last known recruiting); accessed 2026..SourceUsed to support: Not PubMed-indexed. Trial registry record of a randomized, triple-masked, placebo-controlled trial (estimated 80 participants) of a concentrated Tilia tomentosa bud glycerin macerate, 1 drop per 10 kg body weight at bedtime for 15 days, for sleep in women on hormonal therapy after breast cancer surgery. No results are posted.