Native Deciduous Hardwood Tree
Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Moist, rich, well-drained, loamy soils.
Bloom Color: Cream, Yellow (fragrant)
Bloom Time: Apr - July
Fruit Type: Nut
Size Notes: Up to about 100 feet tall
Attracts: Birds, native bees, honey bees
Pollinator Benefit: Xerces Society ratings: Special Value to Native Bees (Recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.); Special Value to Honey Bees; Supports Conservation Biological Control (A plant that attracts predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects.)
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Basswood (Tilia americana) - American Basswood is a stately, wide-spreading tree, 60-80 ft. tall, occasionally growing taller. Conical in its younger form, the crown becomes rounded with age. Broadly oval leaves sometimes change to yellow in fall but often turn brown and become somewhat unsightly. This deciduous tree tends to sprout at the base, producing a clump of tall trees around what was the original tree. Flowers are inconspicuous but fragrant. Large tree with a long trunk and a dense crown of many small, often drooping branches and large leaves; frequently has two or more trunks, and sprouts in a circle from a stump.
American Basswood, the northernmost basswood species, is a handsome shade and street tree. When flowering, the trees are full of bees, hence the name "Bee-tree"; this species is favored by bees over others and produces a strongly flavored honey. The soft, light wood is especially useful for making food boxes, yardsticks, furniture, and pulpwood. Indians made ropes and woven mats from the tough fibrous inner bark.
Source: www.wildflower.org