# American basswood (Tilia americana)

> A large, dense, pyramidal to oval shade tree with big heart-shaped leaves that turn pale yellow in fall and extremely fragrant creamy flowers in early summer that hum with honeybees. Small nutlets spin away on a strap-like bract. It casts deep shade, can sucker from the base, and Japanese beetles and aphid honeydew can be a nuisance under it. Cultivars such as 'Redmond' and 'American Sentry' are common city trees.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/tilia-americana · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: American linden, Basswood
- Family: Malvaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, loses its leaves in winter
- Mature height: 21 m; spread 14 m
- Growth: Medium growth; lives about 200 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 8
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Fertile, moist, well-drained loam preferred; tolerates clay, sand, dry rocky soil and alkaline pH
- Native range: Eastern North America from Manitoba and New Brunswick south to Oklahoma, Texas and northern Florida.

**Benefits:** Shade, Pollinators, Flowers, Wildlife, Birds, Windbreak, Fall color, Long lived

**Good for:** Yard shade, parks, Street tree, Windbreak

**Watch out for:** Pest prone, Weak wood

## Care

Easy to transplant and low maintenance; plant in moist, well-drained soil and water in drought, avoiding hot, compacted sites. Prune in the dormant season and remove basal suckers. Japanese beetles, linden aphids, linden borer and occasionally verticillium wilt are the main problems; protect young bark from rabbits and voles.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Canada (Native to Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.); United States (Native from New England to Florida and west to Texas, Nebraska and the Dakotas (more than 15 states).)
- **Recommended:** Toronto, ON, Canada (Basswood and the cultivar 'Redmond' are on Toronto's list of species planted on streets.); Denver, CO, United States (On the Denver Office of the City Forester Approved Street Tree List); Washington, DC, United States (On the Casey Trees Tree Rebate eligible species list); New York, NY, United States (On the NYC Parks Street Tree Planting Approved Species List); Portland, OR, United States ('Redmond' American linden is on Portland's list for 6.0 to 8.4 ft planting strips.); Dallas, TX, United States (On the City of Dallas Article X Approved Tree List)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/tilia-americana/
- https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/american-basswood/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/TIAM
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilia_americana