Linden Blossom, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

This post comes about a month late, as linden (tilia) trees bloom mostly through June. It was about 3 weeks ago that I finally found the tree, twice. The long "leaves" near the flower, which are not really leaves, are a little deceiving. So it's no wonder I missed the tree for so many years even though it was right under my nose. They are actually aprt of the flower structure. The true leaves are heart shaped (and are never used for tea as far as I know).
I first spotted these at the pitch and putt in Stanley Park, took these photos, but didn't notice much of a scent so I was not sure this is really the tree.

Than a week or so later, I walk down Robson Strasse. Somewhere between Bute and Thurlow, there it was: the heady, honeyed-green and clean-woody scent of linden blossom, threatened to fall into oblivion by the hostile aromas emanating from The Body Shop right under it. It's not even trying to compete, so you will have to look for the scent persistently, and go above all the intense street smells to get it.