Linden Trees: Berlin to Lincoln Square

Exiting the Western Ave. Brown Line station today, I noticed for the first time a segment of the Berlin Wall displayed there, and thought it an oddly plain location in which to place something that loomed so large in the Cold War years of my youth. My route took me along Wilson toward Sunnyside, where linden (also known as lime) trees line the avenue. Deep in the recesses of my internal files was a recollection about Berlin having beautiful linden trees, destroyed at the end of WWII. Wikipedia confirmed this, and those of you who have visited Berlin have perhaps walked along the restored tree-lined avenue known as Unter den Linden. Apparently, it was once Berlin's most glittering boulevard. Perhaps the trees in Lincoln Square were planted with a sense of nostalgia by some former Berliner.

In spite of these musings, my thoughts turned to the foragers I had seen cutting clusters of yellow linden blossoms earlier this week. They explained that they were planning to dry the flowers to make tea. Any of you who are interested should get out there this weekend, as the trees are in full bloom. I also found a very interesting recipe for linden chocolate, made from the flowers and the fruit of the tree. In order to make this, you will need to gather the blossoms now, dry them, and grind them to a powder when the fruit comes in season. According to the same source, the new leaves can be eaten as salad greens, and the mature leaves ground into a flour and baked.

Perhaps I will make the linden chocolate, but more likely I will not. Still, it always makes me feel as though the world is a magical place when I learn of all the nourishing plants around us that we pass by most days without a thought.