heterophylla), basswood. Rabbits and voles eat the bark, sometimes girdling young trees. For more info on identifying Basswood, please visit the Ontario Trees website. One source states a tree in Britain is over 2000 years old, but Monumental Trees lists the oldest as a mere 820 years. American Basswood Bark: "American Linden bark detail" by MONGO, licensed under the public domain. In the US the American linden (Tilia americana) is also know as American basswood or just basswood. There is another American Linden on the tree map at B101, which is located on north side of City Park Drive between fields 1 and 2. To find the trees in City Park, follow your nose! The American basswood can be propagated by cuttings and grafting as well as by seed. The bark on an American basswood tree tends to be gray or brown with shallow, flat-topped ridges. These three trees almost form the points of an equilateral triangle. The American basswood is known for being one of the most difficult native North American trees to propagate from seed, as they not only have a low viability rate (approximately 30% of all seeds are viable), but quickly develop an extremely hard seed coating that may delay germination for up to two years. The flowers, leaves, wood, and charcoal (obtained from the wood) are used for medicinal purposes. [2][3] Common names include American basswood[4] and American linden. The wood of the tree, being lightweight and fast-burning, may not be the best choice for heating. Others have described them as “fireworks.”. Bark from dead Basswood limbs provides the best material. Mature Height: This is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree reaching a height of 60 to 120 ft (exceptionally 129 ft) with a trunk diameter of 3–4 ft at maturity. It grows faster than many North American hardwoods, often twice the annual growth rate of American beech and many birch species. Many benefits, such as relieving hypertension, stomach issues, and pain, helping you sleep, and a reduction of inflammation are reported in alternative medicine articles. A Basswood can grow 65 to 120 feet tall and is indigenous to the Midwest and Northeastern United States with the highest quality Basswood coming from Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. Its heart-shaped leaves and fragrant flowers in June make it especially attractive for people, while songbirds and blue jays are attracted to its seeds and use the tree for shelter. Basswood flowers in early summer, and the sweet-scented blooms are frequented by honeybees, which make a delicious honey from the tree. The second part of this page shows the cordage aspect of Bassswood. Prefers moist, fertile soils in valleys and uplands; sometimes in hardwood forests Native American Uses of Basswood Basswood Outer Bark Basswood Inner Bark The basswood trees growing along our trails and in our forest today are the direct descendents of trees that grew on this land long before European settlers arrived. American basswood is dominant in the sugar maple–basswood forest association, which is most common in western Wisconsin and central Minnesota, but occurs as far east as New England and southern Quebec in places that have mesic soil with relatively high pH. Cultivars include 'Nova', 'Duros' (with an upright crown), the pyramidal 'Frontyard' and the conic-crowned 'Redmond'. The inner bark is very tough and fibrous, used in the past for making ropes.[7]. Colorado’s champion can be found in Denver at 89 feet, with the second place tree, 72′, found in Fort Collins. Indeed, modern foragers may actually consume more of the tree than the Natives did. Bark brown, deeply furrowed, scaly; inner layer tough; branches grey, twigs reddish. The fast-growing American basswood is among the largest trees of eastern and central North America. American basswood is a very popular street tree in Minnesota. By far the easiest way to find linden trees is during and immediately after they bloom as the clusters of flowers (cymes) give the whole tree a distinctive look, as if the undersides of the leaves have been painted a lighter color. Image cropped. Herb: American Basswood Latin name: Tilia americana Family: Tiliaceae (Linden Family) Medicinal use of American Basswood: A tea made from the inner bark is applied to burns - it soothes and softens the skin. The very fragrant blossoms come with a single bract and hang down like lacy umbrellas. The bark is diuretic. Basswood is used by skilled artisans and craftsmen alike to create many unique and lovely objects. American basswood is native to the Chicago area and is often used as a specimen or dense shade tree. It is often planted on the windward side of an orchard as a protection to young and delicate trees. It is an important timber tree in the Great Lakes states. It bears unique flowers and large, heart-shaped leaves. The flowers were added to baths to quell hysteria, and steeped as a tea to relieve anxiety-related indigestion, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting. Zones: 3-9. According to the Kentucky Department of Horticulture, the American Linden was first cultivated in 1752. In a short article discussing this “chocolate” the author says it is still possible to make some for immediate consumption or to freeze and includes a recipe. At one time basswood was the prime material for prosthetic limbs. It also has minor occurrence in many other forest cover types. For countless centuries, materials gathered from basswood … It is the fourth stem in from the northwest corner of Roosevelt and City Park Drive, two down from the light post and near the little kids’ playground. americana. It is taken internally in the treatment of lung complaints, dysentery, heart burn and weak stomach. Tilia cordata, or the Little Leaf Linden (A 88), is also on the north side City Park Drive. [10], The foliage and flowers are both edible, though the tender young leaves are more palatable. The fall color is yellow-green to yellow. American Basswood (Tilia americana) is known for the alluring scent and abundant nectar of its flowers, as well as its lightweight, odorless wood which lends itself to the production of food crates and boxes, musical instrument parts, yard sticks and cabinets. The wood is considered odorless. They are perfect, regular, with five sepals and petals, numerous stamens, and a five-celled superior ovary. American Basswood bark is thin, smooth, dark gray on young stems. Finding the 220+ Tagged Trees in Fort Collins' City Park Arboretum. It has a density of 0.4525 (relative to water). Bark. Also helpful in identification when they aren’t blooming are the heart-shaped, but saw-tooth-edged leaves. Basswood / American Linden Tilia Americana Basswood (also known as American Linden) is often used as a specimen or dense shade tree. The Iroquois carved the bark for ceremonial masks. This tree can grow 18-30 m (60-100 ft) tall and have a trunk 40-100 cm (16-40 in) in diameter. Monumental Trees lists the tallest Tilia Cordata at 132.87 feet. The roots are spreading, deep and large. Monumental Trees lists the tallest American Linden in Europe at 101 feet and the oldest specimen in the Netherlands as about 138 years old. Native. on Tea and Chocolate–Products of the Linden? The ribbed cocoon maker species Bucculatrix improvisa has not been found on other plants. The American basswood is a medium to large tree that usually grows up to 35 meters tall. It is a rapid growing tree of the Central and Eastern hardwood woodlands. Linden tea has a pleasing taste, due to the aromatic volatile oil found in the flowers. The flowers are small, fragrant, yellowish-white, 10–14 mm (13⁄32–9⁄16 inch) in diameter, arranged in drooping, cymose clusters of 6–20 with a whitish-green leaf-like bract attached for half its length at the base of the cyme. The fibrous inner bark can be used to make large ropes, but it's rather weak as small diameter cordage. Bean noted that occasionally, enormous leaves measuring 38 cm or 15 in long by 25 cm or 10 in wide appear on thick, succulent shoots. The Basswood exhibits an oval to round shape with smooth gray to brown bark when young. Beautiful and sturdy, its heart-shaped green leaves and pale yellow fragrant flowers in June make it especially attractive. The Iroquois carved the bark for ceremonial masks. They are basically heart-shaped and the lobes at the base are usually unequal. Mite galls commonly form on the foliage. Unfortunately this concoction did not keep well and production ceased. )Tall, stately tree with spreading round top, 75 to 125 feet high; trunk 2 to 4 feet in diameter. Trees can be used for warmth, hydration, food, tools, and self-defense. All juvenile basswoods coppice extremely readily, and even old trees will often sprout from the stump if cut. Most of the trees are quite tall and if they are tagged, it may be difficult to find the tag, but there is little mistaking a linden in bloom. The bark is gray to light brown, with narrow, well defined fissures. It consists of long interwoven fibres that form an interlocking weave. The leaves serve as food for caterpillars of various Lepidoptera (see Lepidoptera which feed on Tilia). Another common name for Basswood is American Linden, as the tree is in the Tilia genus. [12] It is sold generally under the name basswood, but is sometimes confounded with tulip-wood and then called white-wood, and is largely used in the manufacture of wooden-ware, wagon boxes and furniture. Deer browse heavily on young shoots, leaves and winter twigs. Lindens bloom between May and July, although many sources mention June as the primary bloom time. The name basswood came from a use made by native Americans of using its fibrous, tough inner bark or "bast" for making cords, thongs and ropes. The first part of this page consists of a number of photographs to aid in identification of Basswood. The American basswood is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree reaching a height of 18 to 37 m (60 to 120 ft) exceptionally 39 m (128 ft) with a trunk diameter of 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) at maturity. The American linden or basswood is one of North America’s edible trees with droopy yellow flowers that bloom in June and characterize its beautiful appearance. Propagated plants grow rapidly in a rich soil, but are susceptible to many pests. American Linden - Tilia americana Basswood Family (Tiliaceae) Introduction: This American native was used for centuries for its fibrous inner bark and fragrant flowers. The tree will often support several trunks off its base, will prolifically sprout from stumps, and is a great seeder. The roots are large, deep, and spreading. There are many more bush craft, survival, and every day uses for basswood. For other uses, see, 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T61788230A61788232.en, Southern Research Station (www.srs.fs.fed.us), "Managing the Japanese Beetle:A Homeowner's Handbook", "First record of the rare species Pholiota squarrosoides (Agaricales, Strophariaceae) in southwestern Poland", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tilia_americana&oldid=991874573, Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America), Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains, Articles lacking reliable references from December 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 December 2020, at 07:09. …..Reader’s Digest North American Wildlife c. 1982. Phonetic Spelling TIL-ee-uh a-mer-ih-KAY-nah het-er-oh-FIL-uh Description. The wood of the tree, being lightweight and fast-burning, may not be the best choice for heating. It is native to North America and a common southern Ontario tree, ranging into central Ontario as far north as Lake Nipissing and Sault Ste. It can take stains and polish without difficulty and it planes, glues, screws and nails well. The twigs are smooth, reddish-green, becoming light gray in their second year, finally dark brown or brownish gray, marked with dark wart-like excrescences. Wood white or pale brown, soft, tough, close grained, free of knots; hard to split. Usually made from the European species, Tilia Cordata, linden tea is a well known use of the trees’ flowers, leaves, and bark. Even today the flowers may be used in the making of perfume, As an early variation of “forest bathing,” sitting under the trees was thought to be helpful to epileptics. American Basswood, also known as American Linden, is a species native to Michigan. ], "Basswood" redirects here. The best dead limbs are ones that have been dead for a week or two. American basswood (Tilia americana) Click on the images help you identify an American basswood. American Basswood is only occasionally planted as a landscape tree. Honey from linden flowers is said to be some of the lightest and best available. Basswood Cordage; Basswood (Tilia americana) bark makes excellent and very strong cordage. Tea and Chocolate–Products of the Linden. Where It Grows: American basswood is a popular urban tree and is plants in wide boulevards and parks in city landscapes. The wood is soft and has a fine grain, making it a popular choice for wood carving. If planting them, it is recommended to gather the seeds in early autumn and sow them before they dry out and form a coating. Basswood attracts many insect pests including Japanese beetles and skeletonized leaves are common. Since the middle ages, the tea has been used to cure headaches. Life expectancy is around 200 years, with flowering and seeding generally occurring between 15 and 100 years, though occasionally seed production may start as early as 8 years. Basswood twigs grow in a zig-zag pattern and can be green, red, or brown in color. [5] They open from the bud conduplicate, pale green, downy; when full grown are dark green, smooth, shining above, paler beneath, with tufts of rusty brown hairs in the axils of the primary veins; the small stipules fall soon after leaf opening. It is a beneficial species for attracting pollinators as well. Basswood is still valued for its soft, light, easily worked wood, especially for turned items and hand carving. The flowers also give off a fragrance that can be discerned from a distance. American basswood is a deciduous tree. Bark. The dried flowers are mildly sweet and sticky, and the fruit is somewhat sweet and mucilaginous. Alternatively the flowers could be added to a hot bath to help insomnia. Height 60' to 80', diameter 12" to 36"; trunk often continues straight into top of dense rounded crown. Linn, American linden, white basswood (var. The color of the bark of American basswood is a gray to light brown. Ethnobotanic: Native Americans and settlers used the fibrous inner bark ("bast") as a source of fiber for rope, mats, fish nets, and baskets. The flowers of the tree especially have many uses. In France the leaves were made into a tea (tilleul) and used as a mild sedative. The inner bark was used historically as a fiber source for making baskets, rope, and fishing nets.[11]. The fruit is a small, globose, downy, hard and dry cream-colored nutlet with a diameter of 8–10 mm (5⁄16–13⁄32 in).[2][6][7]. Latin: Tilia americana. Bark, silhouettes and buds are the three keys to identifying trees in winter. Other common names: American linden, basswood, American Basswood. An usual product first made in the 19th century from the dried flowers and nutlets. The straight trunk and bark also help identify the genus. This tree resides in the United Kingdom. Native Americans made rope, netting, and baskets out of the inner bark, or bast, of the basswood tree. Leaf drop in fall occurs between early and late October depending on the latitude. In North America, the little leaf has been introduced in the most northeastern parts of the continent, where the normal height is said to be 50 to 60 feet. The height of American basswood is 18 to 37 meters. The National Champion tree in a Kentucky cemetery, crowned in 2017, has a height of 102′. Its flowers provide abundant nectar for insects. The wood burned to charcoal is ingested to treat intestinal disorders and used topically to treat edema or infection, such as cellulitis or ulcers of the lower leg. The tree was introduced to the UK in 1752, but has never prospered there, being prone to dieback. Its other common name is American Linden. Buds of different tree species are so distinctive they are an excellent identification tool. The American basswood (Tilia americana) is the only member of the genus Tilia native to Iowa. American basswood Family: Tiliaceae: tree: leaf: leaf and fruit: bud: bark : The leaves of Tilia americana are simple, alternate and toothed. The bud that… The seeds are eaten by chipmunks, mice, and squirrels. It peels readily from the tree and is easy to work with. The plant also contains tannins that can act as an astringent. Marie, but also in the northwestern corner near the … Most sources state our native tree grows to a height of around 70′. American Basswood Leaves: " American basswood (Tilia americana) " by Paul Wray, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org, licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0 License. The American basswood is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree reaching a height of 18 to 37 m (60 to 120 ft) exceptionally 39 m (128 ft) with a trunk diameter of 1–1.5 m (3–5 ft) at maturity. The range of this native tree in North America is the East and Midwest. This makes it valuable in the manufacture of wooden-ware, cheap furniture, and bodies of carriages; it is also especially adapted for wood-carving. The American Linden (Tilia americana) pictured in this blog is B98, which is across from the trolley station on S. Roosevelt Ave. Basswood, of the Linden family and also called linden, is a stately American forest tree with a high dense canopy and lower limbs that can droop to the ground. At one time basswood was the prime material for prosthetic limbs. An oil derived from its seed pods was used as a replacement for olive oil, while the sap can be made into a drink or boiled into a syrup. [13], Linden flowers are used in colds, cough, fever, infections, inflammation, high blood pressure, headache (particularly migraine), as a diuretic (increases urine production), antispasmodic (reduces smooth muscle spasm along the digestive tract), and sedative. The winter buds are stout, ovate-acute, smooth, deep red, with two bud scales visible. Basswood bark makes excellent strong cordage. In addition to being a majestic tree in the landscape, basswood is a soft, light wood and prized for hand carvings and making baskets. [7] It is cultivated at least as far north as Juneau, Alaska. There is a tie for the largest American Linden in Colorado, with one tree in Fort Collins and the other in Denver. The buds, like the twigs, can be green or red. American Basswood Fruits. Its big heart-shaped overlapping leaves, with an interesting palmate vein design, are as big as grape leaves. I consider basswood leaves the iceberg lettuce of the forest although it likely has far more nutrients and energy. It grows faster than many North American hardwoods, often twice the annual growth rate of American beech and many birch species. This species is particularly susceptible to adult Japanese beetles (an invasive species in North America) that feed on its leaves. Other sources have suggested the species can live for a thousand years! The Indians soaked the bark for two to four weeks to loosen long fibers. Bees produce excellent honey with a mildly spicy flavor from its blossoms. American Linden or Basswood Tree American Linden, Basswood (Tilia Americana, Linn. Both the twigs and leaves contain mucilaginous sap. This will then allow germination to occur immediately. Tilia americana is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to Cherry County, Nebraska. Smooth on upper parts of tree; dark grey, furrowed into narrow scaly ridges; Fibrous inner bark; Distribution & Uses. According to the Kentucky Department of Horticulture, the American Linden was first cultivated in 1752. Trees provide an immeasurable number of materials essential to survival, and studying the different species, as well as … The flowers are fragrant and insect-pollinated. It is low in strength and has a poor steam-bending classification. [18][unreliable medical source? In England, its European relative (Tilia cordata) is known as a Lime tree or little leaf linden. The crown is domed, the branches spreading, often pendulous. [5], The wood is pale brown, sometimes nearly white or faintly tinged with red; light, soft with fine close grain; clear of knots but does not split easily. [8] The mushroom Pholiota squarrosoides is known to decay the logs of the tree.[9]. [14][15] It is argued that its mechanism of action is due to the flavonoid quercetin,[16][17] as it inhibits the release of histamine. Light gray, smooth; becoming dark gray with shallow, vertical ridges. Form. was a chocolate-like substance. The US champion (height plus girth plus branch spread) is in the state of Maryland and only towers 83 feet. The wood is used for liver and gallbladder disorders and cellulitis (inflammation of the skin and surrounding soft tissue). Any longer and the bark will have dried out a lot. The buds are plump, although acute at … Tilia americana is the northernmost basswood species. GENERAL BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS: American basswood is a native deciduous tree. It is the sole representative of its genus in the Western Hemisphere, assuming T. caroliniana is treated as a subspecies or local ecotype of T. Life expectancy is around 200 years, with flowering and seeding generally occurring between 15 and 100 years, though occasionally seed production may start as early as 8 years. Scientific Name: Tilia americana Time of flowering varies by several weeks depending on the latitude; early May in Canada and early June in the extreme southern extent. [13][14], Several animal studies showed that the extract of T. americana increased sleeping time by 50 minutes (similar to the effects of diazepam) and decreased movement, which indicates sedative effects. Image cropped. Honey from linden flowers is said to be some of the lightest and best available. Trees can provide a survivor with elements from all four core survival priorities: Shelter, Water, Fire and Food. Both are listed at a height of 92′. The American basswood is recommended as an ornamental tree when the mass of foliage or a deep shade is desired; no native tree surpasses it in this respect. It is a common wood for use in the production of solid-body electric guitars, where it is considered an analogue for aspen and poplar, because it is light, strong and resonant, though it is usually used for guitars that will be painted an opaque color, because its lack of notable grain makes it an unattractive candidate for transparent finish. It is especially popular in heavy metal. Uses. The leaves emerge in mid-spring, but the flowers require day lengths of approximately 14 hours and 30 minutes to form, hence T. americana's range is limited to north of the 35th parallel. Along with benefits, most of these articles mention a few drawbacks, such as possible heart problems and drowsiness. Active ingredients in the linden flowers include flavonoids (which act as antioxidants), volatile oils, and mucilaginous constituents (which soothe and reduce inflammation). The preponderance of bees around the trees give rise to another of its nicknames, the bee tree, not to be confused with the Korean bee tree. The wood is used for lightweight projects such as guitars and other instruments, carvings, yardsticks, and veneer. “Bass” is a corruption of “bast” which is a type of fiber. In form, Basswood is like an oversized European linden (Tilia cordata), featuring similar outline, leaf shape and blooms. The leaves are used to promote sweating to reduce fevers. The bark is eaten by porcupines and squirrels, the latter sometimes stripping the stringy bark for nest construction. However, the tree was a major source of fiber for the Indians and that’s where the common name, Basswood, comes from. Description. The bark on an American basswood tree tends to be gray or brown with shallow, flat-topped ridges. The tree is stately as … The leaves are simple, alternately arranged, ovate to cordate, asymmetrical, unequal at the base (the side nearest the branch the largest), 10–15 cm (4–6 in) (can grow up to 25 cm or 10 in) long and broad, with a long, slender petiole, a coarsely serrated margin and an acuminate apex. Overall, seeds are not a major part of the tree's reproductive strategy and it instead mostly spreads by self-coppicing. Although Tilia cordata is believed to be stronger, T. americana is also used medicinally. Unlike many medicinal uses of plants, linden tea has had a number of scientific studies conducted and papers written. It’s crazy to think that one can use a tree to start a fire, take shelter under it, and then find themselves able to eat and drink from it. Basswood, also known as American Linden is a large native North American tree that can grow more than 80 feet tall. Pioneers dubbed it "bastwood" leading to its common name of today. American Basswood, also known as American Linden, (Tilia americana) has plump, oval, asymmetrical reddish or green buds, which bear only one or two bud scales. During the autumn its heart-shaped leaves turn a similar dazzling yellow to its flowers.
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