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A Floridata Plant Profile
#798 Tilia americana
Floridata ID#: 798 Tilia americanaCommon Name(s): American basswood, American
linden, whitewood, beetree linden, white basswoodBotanical Family: Tiliaceae,
the linden Family Plant Type and Feature Tags:


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An American basswood tree in bloom during June in Kentucky. 'Redmond' is a
popular cultivar that maintains a densely conical form.


DESCRIPTION

American basswood (usually called American linden in the horticultural business)
is a stately and well formed deciduous tree with large heart-shaped leaves, a
clean, straight trunk, and a broad, rounded crown. Basswood gets 60-80 ft
(18.3-24 m) and occasionally over 100 ft (30.5 m) tall with a spread of about
half its height. Young trees are columnar; mature trees develop a broad,
spreading crown. The trunk is straight, free of branches for a considerable
height, and the bark is light brown and smooth, becoming darker and deeply
furrowed on older trees. The leaves are 4-8 in (10-29 cm) long and 3-5 in
(7.6-13 cm) wide, broadest near the base and pointed at their tips. The leaves
have coarsely toothed margins and may or may not be white and fuzzy on the
underside. Plants with downy-white leaf undersides may be referable to var.
heterophylla, usually called "white basswood."

Basswood has peculiar and very distinctive straplike leafy bracts from which are
suspended clusters of sweetly fragrant (but not very showy) flowers. The bracts
are the color and texture of leaves, and are 4-5 in (10-13 cm) long and about an
inch wide. The flowers are about 1/3 in (0.8 cm) across, and borne in clusters
of 10-20 which are suspended from the bracts on slender stalks. The flowers are
pollinated by bees. Basswood fruits are round and woody, about 1/3" in diameter.
Several cultivars have been selected. 'Fastigiata' is narrow and conical with
ascending branches. 'Redmond' is pyramidal in form and has larger leaves.


LOCATION

Basswood grows in moist mixed hardwood forests, often associated with maples,
oaks, and ashes. Some references list as many as sixteen species of basswood
occurring in eastern North America. However, recent studies have concluded that
all of the North American basswoods belong to a single, highly variable species,
with three (sometimes) recognizable varieties: T. americana var. americana
occurs in the Northeast, from New Brunswick west to North Dakota and south to
Oklahoma and North Carolina; var. heterophylla occurs in the Appalachian region
from Pennsylvania through Georgia and Alabama to the Florida Panhandle; and var.
caroliniana occurs in the Southeast from North Carolina to central Florida and
west to eastern Texas and northeastern Mexico.

American linden 'Redmond' illustrates the deeply furrowed bark typical of this
species.




CULTURE

Light: Full sun to partial shade. Moisture: Not at all drought tolerant,
American basswood does best in moist, but not water logged soil. Hardiness: USDA
Zones 3 - 9. Propagation: Lindens are propagated from seed, and the cultivars
are generally grafted onto seedlings. Seeds are very difficult to germinate and
nursery operations employ considerable pre-treatment including cold
stratification and acid scarification. If you just plant some fresh seeds in
pots or in the ground and leave them outdoors, about 15% will germinate over a
period of 2-3 years. Fortunately, seedlings and young trees are easy to
transplant during the winter.



USAGE

American basswood is a fine shade and street tree, although it is not used as
much as the European and Asian lindens, which are a little smaller and more
tolerant of urban conditions. This is a large tree, but well suited for parks
and golf courses.

Another common name for American basswood is beetree linden. Bees love its
flowers and produce a finely flavored honey from the nectar. Note the tree's
distinctive white leafy bracts from which the clusters of flowers are suspended
on a slender stalk. By mid-summer the woody fruits have formed.

The soft, light colored and light weight, straight grained wood of American
linden is used in cabinetry, interior paneling and trim, for musical instrument
soundboards and for pulp. The tough and fibrous inner bark was probably used by
all Native American peoples within its range for fabric, clothing, cordage,
basketry, and canoe construction. The honey that bees make from American linden
flowers is said to be of the finest quality.


FEATURES

The Tiliaceae is a cosmopolitan family with some 50 genera and 400 species.
Little-leaf linden (Tilia cordata) from Europe, and silver linden (T. tomentosa)
from Asia, are commonly grown as shade and street trees in Europe and the
northern U.S. Other members of the family are important for timber and fiber.
Jute (Corchorus capsularis) has been cultivated for centuries from Japan and
China to Egypt, and especially in India; it is the source of a coarse fiber used
to make twine and burlap.

Steve Christman 9/15/00; updated 6/24/03, 9/17/03



PHOTOS

American Basswood Tree Flowers
Bees Love American Basswood When Its Blooming



RELATED TILIA AND TILIACEAE FAMILY MEMBER SPECIES

798 Tilia americana
American basswood, American linden, whitewood, beetree linden, white basswood
1011 Tilia cordata
littleleaf linden, small leaved lime