Scientific name: Tilia americana var. heterophylla
Common name: white basswood
Native: Yes
Native range: Native to the eastern United States, with its population most densely centered around the Appalachian Mountains [1,2,3].
Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for T. americana var. heterophylla.
USDA Zones: 3A-7A [5]
Maximum age: Typically lives to 100 years, but may survive for as long as 140-200 years [1,2].
Ecology: It is susceptible to aphids, beetles, borers, and other herbivorous insects [3], and its flowers are an important source of nectar for honeybees [1,2]. Its tendency to form cavities provides habitat for birds, such as wood ducks, and small mammals. The frutis and seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, while deer browse the foliage [1,2]. It hosts a number of native butterflies and moths, including swallowtails (Papilio spp.) and several large, saturniid moths such as the cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) [6].
Ethnobotany: Its abundant flowers and nectar provide forage for honeybees [1,2,3]. Indigenous Americans use it as a culinary ingredient and a source of fiber for cordage, and its lumber is useful for woodworking [1,2,3,4].
