FNPS Plant Database

Tilia americana

basswood, American linden, bee tree

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

Nomenclature

Common Name:

basswood, American linden, bee tree

Synonym(s):

Tilia caroliniana, Tilia heterophylla

Genus species:

Tilia americana

Family:

Malvaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

60-80 ft tall by 40-60 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white,yellow,green

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms in spring. Fruit ripens in fall.

Noted For:

Fall Color, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Shade tree for mid-moisture sites.

Considerations:

Dense shade produced by this tree will limit what can be grown under it.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Seed

Propagation:

Seed. Can also be managed as a coppice plant.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

Coming Soon!

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic to circum-neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.



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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Caterpillars, Mammals



  • Flowers fragrant and attractive to insects, especially bees.


  • Larval host for red spotted purple butterfly.


Seeds eaten by a variety of small mammals, especially rodents. 

Native Habitats:

Mesic forests.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Has been used for lumber/furniture wood. Known as a good honey plant.

General Comments:

Tilia americana var. caroliniana and T. americana var. heterophylla both occur in Florida. Their cultural requirements and appearance are similar.  

Citations:

Burns, Russell M.; Honkala, Barbara H.; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). 



Osorio, Rufino. 2001. A gardener's guide to Florida's native plants.  University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.



University of Tennessee Extension Service.  Desired Ph Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants.    https://extension.tennessee.edu/mtnpi/Documents/handouts/Fertility/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf   accessed 2021.



Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. 2021. Atlas of Florida Plants ( http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu /).  Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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