Tilia americana American basswood (Tiliaceae) Deciduous tree

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Tilia americana
American basswood
Deciduous tree
(1 Page of 5)

The Tilia americana plant species is found in Central and Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Texas and Manitoba. It is a member of the Tiliaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as American basswood.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Tilia americana
Common Name:  American basswood
Family:  Tiliaceae
Author:  L.

Known Hazards:  Frequent consumption of the tea made from the flowers may cause heart damage[222].

Mature Height:  25   Mature Width:  12

Habitat:  Rich, often moist, soils of woods and bottomlands, often forming pure stands[82, 227].

General Uses: A tough fibre is obtained from the inner bark[46, 227]. The bark is soaked in water then boiled. It is then rubbed on a stick to separate the fibres which can then be used for making thread for sewing, fine yarn for weaving bags, clothing etc and cordage for making nets, shoes, twine, mats etc[189, 226, 227, 257]. A fairly wind resistant tree, it can be grown as part of a shelterbelt planting[200]. Wood - soft, straight grained, light, weak, not durable, easily worked, resistant to splitting, it holds nails badly, holds glue, paint and lacquer well, seasons well but shrinks considerably. It weighs 28lb per cubic foot[227], is odourless and bland-tasting[226]. A commercially important timber in its native range[226, 229]. The white wood is excellent for turning and carving, it is used for making woodenware such as spoons, cheap furniture, pulp etc[46, 82, 171, 227, 229].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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