The linden tree is a symbol of the Slovenian nation and its role and importance stretch back in the period before there was any real sense of national awareness. In Slovenia you can find many very old linden trees, some are even supposed to be around 700 years old. The tradition holds that, since time immemorial, people have planted linden trees to mark special occasions.

During the period of the Slovenian national awakening and the Slovenian people's increasing national awareness, the linden tree became one of the symbols of the Slovenian nation. There has never been a special emphasis on the linden tree in Slovenian national iconography, emphasis was more on the linden leave. We probably best remember the linden leave from the advertising campaign entitled "Slovenia, my country", which was launched in the 1980s. The campaign was initially designed to promote Slovenian tourism, but went well beyond its initial purpose and spontaneously heralded the path to Slovenia's independence. 

The most symbolic importance has, however, the linden tree, which was planted twenty-five years ago – on the day the Republic of Slovenia proclaimed its independence and sovereignty – on Republic Square (Trg republike) in front of the National Assembly building. Moreover, every year Slovenian politicians and statesmen meet under the Najevnik linden tree in the Koroška region.