Large American linden

Summer foliage and winged seed

American basswood (Tilia americana) is a common deciduous native tree in midwestern and eastern U.S. forests (USDA hardiness zones 2-11). This large majestic tree is remarkably fast-growing but not weak wooded. Basswood is planted as a large residential shade tree, street tree along wide avenues, or tall privacy screen. A mature specimen may grow 50 – 80 feet tall and 30 – 40 feet wide although individual trees 90 – 100 feet tall are not unusual. Basswood may be either single or multiple trunk.

Sweetly fragrant pale yellow flowers opened in June and attract numerous insects, including butterflies, nocturnal moths, bees and flies. Basswood honey is highly prized for its sweet honey. Early colonists knew to identify trees because where you saw basswoods, bee hives (and honey) were nearby.

The large, showy cream-colored bracts persist well into fall. Bobwhites, squirrels, chipmunks, and deer feed on the nutlets. Its large growth buds are very noticeable in late winter. Basswood’s dark green heart shaped leaves are large (to 6 inches long), serrated along the margin, and sharply pointed at the tip. Leaf undersides are silvery in spring and less so later in the summer.

Basswood grows in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Young trees are drought susceptible, but older established trees are highly drought tolerant. Generally, basswood is intolerant of air pollution and urban conditions.

No serious insect or disease problems trouble basswood trees. Aphid and lacebug feedings on leaf surfaces are evident by early summer; Japanese beetles may also mar foliage. Newly planted trees should be sprayed for 1-3 years, but after 3 years, the tree’s growth rate makes pesticide spraying unnecessary. Powdery mildew, leaf spots and stem cankers may occur but pesticide spraying is not practical. Spider mites can also cause significant damage, particularly over hot, dry summers.