AbstractThe headspace constituents of lving flowers (five hours trapping time) of the lime tree, Tilia cordata Mill. Or T platyphyllos Scop., Tiliace, as well as of cut flowers of the same tree (four hours trapping) were investigated using GC, GC‐Ms and A GC‐sniffing technique. The main components of the headspace samples of the living flowers (concentration higher than 3%), were limonene (22.2%), p‐cymene (21.7%), Δ3careen (15.3%), germaceren‐D (8.7%), β‐phellandrene (3.6%) an farnesol (3.6%), Δ3careen (5.2%), Δ‐p‐dimethylstren (4.2%), sabiene (3.2%) and γ‐cadiene (3.1%) dominated the sample of the cut floers (closed‐loop stripping technique). Additional information on the odour impression of both samples is given.