American Basswood
(Tilia americana)
Description
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Leaves coarsely toothed – simple
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Scientific name: Tilia Americana L.
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Broadly oval leaves – turn yellow in fall – heart-shaped
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Grows 60 to 80 feet tall
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Conical in its younger form, the crown becomes rounded with age
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Tends to sprout at base. Frequently has two or more trunks
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When flowering, trees are full of bees, hence the name “Bee Tree”
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Deciduous
Habitat
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Upland deciduous woods, north and east slopes of mesic ravines
Range
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Found from Canada to Alabama, west to Texas, Kansas, and North Dakota
History
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Native peoples made ropes and woven mats from the tough fibrous inner bark as well as nets, clothing, and thread.
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Native Americans drank Basswood sap as a watery drink or boiled it into syrup.
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All parts of Basswood are useable, and most are also edible: flowers, seeds, buds, and sap.
Current use
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The soft white wood is useful for making food boxes, yardsticks, furniture, and Venetian blinds.
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Used by wood carvers.
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Provides abundant nectar for insects.
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The seeds are eaten by chipmunks, mice, squirrels, and songbirds.
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Rabbits and voles eat the bark.
Mission
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How many different insects and birds can you find on the Basswoods along the trail?
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What do Basswood flowers taste like?
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Collect a Basswood leaf. What are the characteristics that make it a Basswood leaf?
Photo Reprinted with Permission, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
This page was created by a Master Naturalist volunteer. The Minnesota Master Naturalist program is sponsored by University of Minnesota Extension.