From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
Flowers - also lime blossoms, linden flowers. Fresh or dried flowers harvested from some of the long-lived, deciduous Tilia or linden trees - commonly referred to as "lime trees" in Britain - which are native to temperate Asia, Europe and North America. The flowers have traditionally been used to make teas and tinctures to treat disorders as varied as colds, hysteria and indigestion. Since the fragrant tea is enjoyed even by the healthy, the dried flowers are sold in health food stores; ready-made teas, which may combine lime flowers with another ingredient, such as chamomile, are also available. Unpicked, the nectar-rich flowers are a favorite of honeybees and, consequently, their keepers; as a result, linden trees have been protected by law in some countries.
