Tilia spp.
Linden flowers are small, cream-colored, and distinctly honey-scented. The flowers and their pale leaflike bracts are the part usually gathered for infusions.1
American linden, or basswood (Tilia americana), is native in every New England state. The European name “lime tree” has nothing to do with citrus limes; it is another old name for trees in Tilia.2
The flower cluster hangs from the middle of a narrow papery bract. Later, that bract acts a little like a wing as the small fruits fall from the tree.
The honeylike aroma is already present in the flower. An infusion can suggest honey even when it contains no sweetener at all.
Footnotes
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University of Minnesota Extension, “Edible Flowers,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩
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Native Plant Trust, “Tilia americana — American Linden,” accessed July 17, 2026. ↩