Linden, American
(Tilia Americana)

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American basswood (usually called American linden in the horticultural business) is a stately and well formed deciduous tree with large heart-shaped leaves, a clean, straight trunk, and a broad, rounded crown. Basswood gets 60-80 ft (18.3-24 m) and occassionally over 100 ft (30.5 m) tall with a spread of about half its height. Young trees are columnar; mature trees develop a broad, spreading crown. The trunk is straight, free of branches for a considerable height, and the bark is light brown and smooth, becoming darker and deeply furrowed on older trees. The leaves are 4-8 in (10-29 cm) long and 3-5 in (7.6-13 cm) wide, broadest near the base and pointed at their tips. The leaves have coarsely toothed margins and may or may not be white and fuzzy on the underside. Plants with downy-white leaf undersides may be referable to var. heterophylla, usually called “white basswood.” Basswood has peculiar and very distinctive straplike leafy bracts from which are suspended clusters of sweetly fragrant (but not very showy) flowers. The bracts are the color and texture of leaves, and are 4-5 in (10-13 cm) long and about an inch wide. The flowers are about 1/3 in (0.8 cm) across, and borne in clusters of 10-20 which are suspended from the bracts on slender stalks. The flowers are pollinated by bees. Basswood fruits are round and woody, about 1/3″ in diameter. Several cultivars have been selected. ‘Fastigiata’ is narrow and conical with ascending branches. ‘Redmond’ is pyramidal in form and has larger leaves.