Tilia americana

• BOTANICAL NAME: Tilia americana
• COMMON NAME: Basswood
• FAMILY: Tiliaceae
• NATIVITY: Canada to Alabama to North Dakota
• GROWTH HABIT:  60-80’ (100’)
• HARDINESS:  Zone 3 to 8(9)
• OPTIMUM GROWING CONDITIONS:  Prefers fertile, moist soils and part sun, often found in rich woodlands and on slopes.
• SUCCESSIONAL STATUS:  Climax
• FACULTATIVE STATUS:  Facultative Upland
• LANDSCAPE VALUE:  
• FOLIAGE:   Alternate, simple, broad ovate with apex tip, coarsely serrated edge, changes to yellow in the fall.
• BUDS:  Outer scale covers majority of bud; red in color often lopsided
• BARK:  Gray-brown in color; long scaley strips; easy to carve
• FRUIT:  Bract holds the nut-like structure “Wood paddle and ball” as a modified leaf; flowers are ID feature,
• pendulous cymes in late June
• PESTS:  Highly susceptible to disease; Sapsuckers; cankers, leaf blight, leaf spots, powdery mildew