The Lime Tree in the Baronnies

The high-quality Tilia platyphyllos, also known as « Lime with large leaves » or « linden », has 2 to 5 flowers by bracts and a higher essential oil content than other varieties. Thanks to the sunshine, the protected valley against frost and ideal temperatures, you can only find this tree in the Baronnies Provençales. The Tilia platyphyllos is also renowned for its medicinal properties. It offers a delicate perfume and relaxes you in the daily life.

The cultivation started in the early 19th to replace other cultivations. The lime tree is everywhere in the Drôme Provençale: in fields, by the roadside or in the courtyards. It doesn’t need specific treatment, it just grows up naturally, except during harvest time when farmers cut the branches to get a better blossoming for the next year.

Two or three decades ago, the « ponts et chaussées » concedes the harvest to auction sale, and small farmers usually have the permission to exploit one or two hundred meters of roadside next to their farm. This cultivation was an additional income for people. The lime tree was sold in « Bourras », a large piece of hessian which was also be used for packing the flowers after picking time.

Harvest time starts from mid-june to mid-july. We need to be careful during blossoming because it only lasts 2 or 3 days! Flowers need to be open and scented. If it only remains small balls, then it’s too late. Just after picking, flowers are lay flat in the open air and a few days away from the light in 20cms layers to start drying. They are aerated every day to make them crunchy. The lime tree can be preserved all winter in pots for example.

Medicinal properties and uses. The lime tree of the Baronnies Provençales is renowned for its flavour and offers numerous benefits: febrifuge, diaphoretic, calming and spasmolytic.

Flowers, sap (sirup), fruits (roasted) and leaves can be served with a salad, but herbal tea remains the common use in France. The honey are very appreciated.

For a cup of herbal tea you will need: 2gr of dry flowers (1 teaspoon) and 200ml of water. Bring the water to a boil and add the flowers. Brew for 10 minutes. This infusion is recommended against daily tiredness.

Promoting the lime tree. The flowers were sold at local fairs but because of the lack of production, it ended. However, the cultivation of lime tree in the Baronnies represents 75% of the French production. A farmer union has been settled to make the lime tree production more attractive and to protect it. An application to get a PGI (protected geographical indication) is on the way.

Premier marché de Tilleul au Monde, célébré depuis 196 ans sans interruption le premier mercredi du mois de juillet, la foire au tilleul de Buis les Baronnies n’existe plus depuis 2004. En 2006, une manifestation visant à mettre en avant le tilleul des baronnies fût créée. Expositions, conférences, sorties botaniques, salon du livre des plantes, marché thématique, « Tilleul en Baronnies » se déroule à la mi juillet renommée depuis peu “Aromatiques et Tilleul en Baronnies” Porté par la Maison des Plantes Aromatiques et médicinales , et le syndicat des producteurs de Tilleul Officinal des Baronnies, cette manifestation a su remplacer avantageusement son aînée.Une nouvelle manifestation a été créé en 2014 « cueillette du Tilleul »

“Opération Infusettes”

The hosts are invited to offer herbal teas with aromatic plants of the Baronnies Provençales to their guests. The main goal of « Opération Infusette » is to make people and particularly the tourists become aware of the benefits and the cultivation of aromatic plants, and to communicate about the Baronnies Provençales Nature Park.

You can taste for free these teabags made from thyme, rosemary, fennel, lavender, verbena and linden in some accommodation places and in all the tourist offices situated in the Baronnies Provençales Nature Park.

28 teabags package are available in the tourist offices for only 4.50€!

“Ut semper in Baronnis Tilia vivat”, « May the lime forever lives in the Baronnies »