American basswood (Tilia americana, Sp. Pl.: 514 (1753))

Family: Malvaceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 514 (1753)

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Tilia

Vegetable: False

Observations: C. & E. Canada to Mexico

Description

The American basswood, scientifically known as Tilia americana, is a notable species of tree native to North America. This majestic tree is a member of the Malvaceae family and can be found across a wide geographical range, stretching from central and eastern Canada all the way to Mexico.

Renowned for its impressive height and large, heart-shaped leaves, the American basswood is a staple in deciduous forests and urban landscapes alike. The tree’s leaves, which can grow up to 6-8 inches in length, have serrated edges and a distinct asymmetrical base. During the summer, American basswood trees produce clusters of fragrant, pale-yellow flowers that are highly attractive to bees, making this species an excellent choice for those interested in promoting pollinator health.

The American basswood tree is also known for its rapid growth and robust wood, which is lightweight, easily worked, and favored for carving and crafting. Indigenous peoples and early settlers utilized its soft, yet sturdy, wood for various purposes, including the crafting of tools, canoes, and even musical instruments.

In addition to its practical uses, Tilia americana holds significant ecological importance. It provides shelter and food for numerous wildlife species. The flowers are not only a critical nectar source for bees but also contribute to the production of a highly prized, light-colored honey known as basswood honey.

The history and recognition of the American basswood are well-documented, with its classification dating back to 1753 when Carolus Linnaeus, denoted by the abbreviation “L.,” first described it in his seminal work, “Species Plantarum.”

The American basswood is a versatile, hardy tree that thrives in various soil types but prefers well-drained, moist environments. It is an excellent choice for urban forestry due to its resilience against pollution and its contribution to air quality improvement.

Overall, the American basswood is a vital component of the natural and cultural landscape of North America, appreciated not only for its beauty and utility but also for its role in supporting diverse ecosystems.

Common Names

Eng: american basswood, basswood, american linden, white basswood, whitewood
Deu: amerikanische linde, schwarz-linde
Dan: amerikansk lind
Fra: tilleul d’amérique, tilleul d’amérique, bois blanc, tilleul d’amérique blanc, tilleul glabre
Swe: svartlind
En: American basswood, Basswood, American linden, White basswood, Whitewood, American Lime
Da: Amerikansk lind
Nl: Amerikaanse Linde
Fr: Tilleul d’Amérique, Tilleul d’Amérique, Bois blanc, Tilleul d’Amérique blanc, Tilleul glabre
De: Amerikanische Linde, Schwarz-Linde
It: Tiglio americano
Pt-br: Tília
Es: Tilo americano
Sv: Svartlind

Synonyms

• Tilia caroliniana subsp. floridana ((Small) A.E.Murray)
• Tilia eburnea var. lasioclada ((Sarg.) Ashe)
• Tilia americana subsp. floridana ((Small) A.E.Murray)
• Tilia americana var. vestita (V.Engl.)
• Tilia georgiana var. crinita (Sarg.)
• Tilia neglecta (Spach)
• Tilia longifolia (Raf.)
• Tilia mexicana (Benth.)
• Tilia alabamensis (Ashe)
• Tilia porracea (Ashe)
• Tilia leucocarpa var. glaucescens ((Sarg.) Sudw.)
• Tilia floridana var. australis ((Small) Sarg.)
• Tilia ludovicia (Bosc ex Koehne)
• Tilia caroliniana var. lata ((Ashe) Ashe)
• Tilia americana subsp. caroliniana ((Mill.) A.E.Murray)
• Tilia caroliniana (Mill.)
• Tilia americana f. megalodonta (V.Engl.)
• Tilia ashei (Bush)
• Tilia glabra (Vent.)
• Tilia palmeri (Bush ex F.C.Gates)
• Tilia americana f. microphylla (Farw.)
• Tilia nuda (Sarg.)
• Tilia hypoleuca (Ashe)
• Tilia americana subsp. heterophylla ((Vent.) A.E.Murray)
• Tilia velutina (Mack. ex V.Engl.)
• Tilia heterophylla var. microdonta (V.Engl.)
• Tilia pubescens f. heteromorpha (V.Engl.)
• Tilia eburnea (Ashe)
• Tilia leucocarpa (Ashe)
• Tilia leucocarpa f. attenuata (Ashe ex Bush)
• Tilia americana var. walteri (Alph.Wood)
• Tilia glabra f. fastigiata (A.D.Slavin)
• Tilia nigra (Borkh.)
• Tilia littoralis (Sarg.)
• Tilia americana f. moltkei (L.Späth ex Dippel)
• Tilia caroliniana subsp. heterophylla ((Vent.) Pigott)
• Tilia floridana var. hypoleuca (Sarg.)
• Tilia pertomentosa (Bush)
• Tilia pallida (Salisb.)
• Tilia glabra f. dentata ((G.Kirchn.) Rehder)
• Tilia americana f. macrophylla ((Fisch. ex Bayer) V.Engl.)
• Tilia alabamensis var. oblongifolia ((Sarg.) Bush)
• Tilia australis (Small)
• Tilia americana f. cyclophylla (V.Engl.)
• Tilia heterophylla var. amphiloba (Sarg.)
• Tilia americana var. caroliniana ((Mill.) Castigl.)
• Tilia excellens (J.Wagner)
• Tilia heterophylla (Vent.)
• Tilia monticola (Sarg.)
• Tilia tenera (Ashe)
• Tilia venulosa (Sarg.)
• Tilia incisodentata (K.Koch)
• Tilia cocksii (Sarg.)
• Tilia nuda var. brevipedunculata (Sarg.)
• Tilia lasioclada (Sarg.)
• Tilia americana f. fastigiata ((A.D.Slavin) Rehder)
• Tilia americana f. rosenthalii ((Dippel) V.Engl.)
• Tilia nigra var. laxiflora ((Michx.) Spach)
• Tilia heterophylla var. nivea (Sarg.)
• Tilia americana var. pubescens (Loudon)
• Tilia americana var. heterophylla ((Vent.) Loudon)
• Tilia relicta (Laughlin)
• Tilia pubescens f. glabrata (V.Engl.)
• Tilia grata (Salisb.)
• Tilia leucocarpa var. oblongifolia ((Sarg.) Bush)
• Tilia nuda var. glaucescens (Sarg.)
• Tilia americana f. ampelophylla (V.Engl.)
• Tilia apposita (Ashe)
• Tilia glabra var. neglecta (Bush)
• Tilia littoralis var. discolor (Sarg.)
• Tilia pubescens var. aitonii (V.Engl.)
• Tilia floridana var. oblongifolia (Sarg.)
• Tilia phanera (Sarg.)
• Tilia leucocarpa var. brevipedunculata ((Sarg.) Sudw.)
• Tilia americana f. laxiflora ((Michx.) V.Engl.)
• Tilia canadensis (Michx.)
• Tilia americana var. densiflora (V.Engl.)
• Tilia texana (Sarg.)
• Tilia venulosa var. multinervis (Sarg.)
• Tilia lata (Ashe)
• Tilia americana f. pedunculata (V.Engl.)
• Tilia laxiflora (Michx.)
• Tilia nigra var. macrophylla (Fisch. ex Bayer)
• Tilia crenoserrata (Sarg.)
• Tilia heterophylla var. tenera ((Ashe) Ashe)
• Tilia caroliniana var. rhoophila (Sarg.)
• Tilia pubescens f. gymnophila (V.Engl.)
• Tilia americana var. missisippiensis ((Bosc ex Spach) Schelle)
• Tilia americana f. grandifolia (V.Engl.)
• Tilia floridana (Small)
• Tilia americana var. laxiflora ((Michx.) Loudon)
• Tilia pubescens var. ventenatii (V.Engl.)
• Tilia americana var. floridana ((Small) A.E.Murray)
• Tilia georgiana (Sarg.)
• Tilia pubescens var. leptophylla (Vent.)
• Tilia michauxii (Nutt.)
• Tilia multiflora (Vent.)
• Tilia longifolia var. dentata (G.Kirchn.)
• Tilia viridis subsp. moltkei ((L.Späth ex Dippel) Xifreda)
• Tilia phanera var. scabrida (Sarg.)
• Tilia truncata (Spach)
• Tilia americana var. scabra (Farw.)
• Tilia leucocarpa var. cocksii ((Sarg.) Ashe)
• Tilia americana f. microptera (V.Engl.)
• Tilia mississippiensis (Bosc ex Spach)
• Tilia glabra var. macrophylla ((Fisch. ex Bayer) C.K.Schneid.)
• Tilia americana f. dentata ((G.Kirchn.) Rehder)
• Tilia caroliniana var. floridana ((Small) V.Engl.)
• Tilia stenopetala (Raf.)
• Tilia stellata (Hartig)
• Tilia texana var. grosseserrata (Sarg.)
• Tilia americana f. divaricata (V.Engl.)
• Tilia crenoserrata var. acuminata (Ashe)
• Tilia opposita (Ashe)
• Tilia caroliniana var. vagans (V.Engl.)
• Tilia heterophylla var. michauxii ((Nutt.) Sarg.)
• Tilia pubescens f. truncata ((Spach) V.Engl.)
• Tilia floridana var. alabamensis ((Ashe) Ashe)
• Tilia americana var. neglecta ((Spach) Fosberg)
• Tilia leptophylla ((Vent.) Simonk.)
• Tilia hollandica (Du Roi ex Steud.)
• Tilia latifolia (Salisb.)
• Tilia pubescens (Aiton)

Distribution

• Alabama (native)
• Arkansas (native)
• Connecticut (native)
• Delaware (native)
• District of Columbia (native)
• Florida (native)
• Georgia (native)
• Illinois (native)
• Indiana (native)
• Iowa (native)
• Kansas (native)
• Kentucky (native)
• Louisiana (native)
• Maine (native)
• Manitoba (native)
• Maryland (native)
• Masachusettes (native)
• Mexico Central (native)
• Mexico Gulf (native)
• Mexico Northeast (native)
• Mexico Northwest (native)
• Mexico Southeast (native)
• Mexico Southwest (native)
• Michigan (native)
• Minnesota (native)
• Mississippi (native)
• Missouri (native)
• Nebraska (native)
• New Brunswick (native)
• New Hampshire (native)
• New Jersey (native)
• New York (native)
• North Carolina (native)
• North Dakota (native)
• Ohio (native)
• Oklahoma (native)
• Ontario (native)
• Pennsylvania (native)
• Québec (native)
• Rhode I. (native)
• Saskatchewan (native)
• South Carolina (native)
• South Dakota (native)
• Tennessee (native)
• Texas (native)
• Vermont (native)
• Virginia (native)
• West Virginia (native)
• Wisconsin (native)
• Uzbekistan (introduced)

Additional Images

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Fruit

Taken Feb 20, 2021 by Alain Quevillon (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 21, 2019 by Albert V. (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 10, 2018 by mohamed (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 13, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 13, 2017 by 1 (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Taken May 18, 2022 by Anna Sokolsky (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 30, 2021 by Pro Monica (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 25, 2021 by Benoit Rainville (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 7, 2021 by Luis Mampel (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 6, 2021 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Jun 8, 2021 by c.a. amelia (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 8, 2022 by Eladio Navarro Delfa (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 7, 2019 by Edward Privorotsky (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 27, 2022 by Julius Hill (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 6, 2021 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Sep 15, 2012 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)

Taken Sep 15, 2012 by Photoflora – Jean-Luc TASSET (©)

Taken Nov 16, 2022 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 29, 2020 by mohammad fazel dehkordi (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 29, 2020 by mohammad fazel dehkordi (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Oct 25, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Alain BIGOU (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 25, 2021 by Bernd Vogler (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 19, 2022 by Émile Maurice (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 15, 2021 by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Taken May 18, 2022 by Anna Sokolsky (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Apr 19, 2020 by Cynthia bertin (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 19, 2020 by Cynthia bertin (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 25, 2021 by Bernd Vogler (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 19, 2022 by Émile Maurice (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jul 6, 2021 by William Coville (cc-by-sa)

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3152042)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:286108-2)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Tilia americana L.)

Specifications

Growth form: Single Stem

Growth habit: Tree

Growth rate: Moderate

Growth

Ph maximum: 7.5

Ph minimum: 4.5