American Basswood Tilia americana
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- TIL-ee-uh a-mer-ih-KAY-nah
- Description
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American linden is a useful large shade tree in the Malvaceae (mallow) family that is found in all areas of North Carolina. It is native to eastern North America but found especially in the mountains where it is a common and valuable timber tree. Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade, it can reach heights of 60 to 80 feet with a straight trunk 2 to 3 feet in diameter. It is easy to transplant, is tolerant of clay soil, and adaptable to dry, rocky soils. It has some drought tolerance once established. This tree prefers fertile moist well-drained loams. Fall color is pale yellow-green.
As an amazing wildlife tree, it attracts lightning bugs and is a larval plant for red-spotted purple and mourning cloak butterflies. Its flowers are so attractive to honeybees you may hear the tree buzzing from several feet away. The nectar makes excellent-tasting honey. Its seeds are eaten by birds and squirrels. Bees and other pollinating insects enjoy the nectar from the flowers.
Cymes of fragrant, pale yellow late spring flowers are quite showy. This tree is great for use as a shade tree or street tree but does not tolerate urban conditions. It can also be pruned to form a flowering hedge.
Seasons of Interest:
Bark: Winter Bloom: Spring and Summer Foliage: Spring, Summer, and Fall Fruit: Summer
Quick ID Hints:
- large, deciduous tree, maturing to a height of 60 to 80 feet tall and 30 to 60 feet wide
- gray, furrowed bark
- large, dark green leaves on the upper surface, and matte gray on the undersides
- five-inch-long drooping clusters of fragrant yellow blooms from May to July
- fruit is a small, downy, hard, dry, creamy-colored nutlet
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems. You may see linden aphids, borers, Japanese beetles, lace bugs, caterpillars, and scale. In hot, dry conditions spider mites may pose a significant problem. While infrequent, Verticillium wilt can be fatal. Powdery mildew, leaf spots, and cankers are other diseases that rarely occur. Particularly sensitive to heat and soil compaction.
VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Bailyard'
Symetrical, 70 feet high by 40 feet wide. - 'Boulevard'
60 feet high with a limited spread, yellow fall foliage. - 'Continental Appeal'
50 ft tall, ascending branches, dense crown - 'Redmond'
40 to 60 feet high. - var. americana
- var. caroliniana
Leaf undersides are whitish - 'Bailyard'
- 'Bailyard', 'Boulevard', 'Continental Appeal', 'Redmond', var. americana, var. caroliniana, var. heterophylla
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Bailyard'
Symetrical, 70 feet high by 40 feet wide. - 'Boulevard'
60 feet high with a limited spread, yellow fall foliage. - 'Continental Appeal'
50 ft tall, ascending branches, dense crown - 'Redmond'
40 to 60 feet high. - var. americana
- var. caroliniana
Leaf undersides are whitish - 'Bailyard'
- 'Bailyard', 'Boulevard', 'Continental Appeal', 'Redmond', var. americana, var. caroliniana, var. heterophylla
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Tilia
- Species:
- americana
- Family:
- Tiliaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Lumber, pulpwood, veneer. Cream-colored soft wood for carving. The inner bark has been used to make rope and mats.
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Central and eastern North America.
- Distribution:
- New Brunswick to Florida, west to Texas, north to Manitoba.
- Fire Risk Rating:
- low flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- This plant provides nectar for pollinators and is a larval host plant for Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus). You may see it during its three flights from February-November in the deep south and two flights March-September in the north. Seeds eaten by birds and squirrels. Bees and other pollinating insects enjoy the nectar from the flowers.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Fragrance
- Wildlife Cover/Habitat
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wildlife Larval Host
- Wildlife Nesting
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- fire in the landscape.
- Edibility:
- Dried flowers are used to make teas but over-use can cause heart damage. Syrup can be made from the sweet tree sap. Honey from this tree is prized for flavor. Leaves can be used in salads.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 60 ft. 0 in. - 80 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Native Plant
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Conical
- Erect
- Oval
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Description:
- The fruit is a small, globose, downy, hard and dry cream-colored nutlet about the size of a pea suspended on a stalk attached to persistent bracts that act as wings to help them be distributed by the wind. In North Carolina, fruits are available from July to August.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Fragrant
- Good Dried
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The 5 inch long drooping clusters of yellow flowers are fragrant and showy. They have five sepals and petals and numerous stamens. The flower stem is attached to the middle of a leaf-like bract. The bees visit it in abundance. Available from May to July.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Cordate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, ovate to cordate, asymmetrical, and unequal at the base. Margins are coarsely serrated. The upper sides of the leaf are dark green, and the undersides are a matte gray. They can grow up to 10 inches long and 3 to 6 inches wide. They have downy hairs on the undersides when young but are smooth with age.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Lenticels
- Bark Description:
- Branch bark is gray and smooth with small inconspicuous lenticels. Longitudinally furrowed with flat-top, narrow ridges and rough texture.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Zig Zags
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Young twigs are light green, tomentose or tomentose-hirsute. The terminal bud is false, each very plump with one side bulging out disproportionately.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Edible Garden
- Native Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Screen/Privacy
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Street Tree
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Dry Soil
- Fire
- Pollution
- Wind
