American Basswood; American Linden

Tilia americana var. heterophylla

Found in rich coves and moist to dry slopes (the drier sites usually on limestone), often one of the most abundant trees in Southern Appalachian cove forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 88%

Height: About 90 feet
Light: Up to 6 hours of direct sun

Will it fit your yard?

Tilia americana var. heterophylla photograph — Alan Weakley · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: Early summer
Fruiting season: Summer to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Soil · Life cycle

Recorded in 6 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Marsh Wren
Cistothorus palustris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Shoveler
Anas clypeata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Waterthrush
Seiurus noveboracensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Orange-crowned Warbler
Vermivora celata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Purple Gallinule
Porphyrio martinica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

105CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Tilia

Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
Acronicta spinigeraNondescript Dagger
Actias lunaLuna Moth
Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra

Show all 105

Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Anisota stigmaSpiny Oakworm Moth, Stigma Moth
Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
Automeris ioIo Moth
Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
Cenopis pettitanaMaple-Basswood Leafroller Moth
Cerastis tenebriferaReddish Speckled Dart
Ceratomia amyntorElm Sphinx
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Citheronia regalisRoyal Walnut Moth, Hickory Horned Devil
Clostera inclusaAngle-Lined Prominent, Poplar Tent Maker, Poplar Leaf-Tier
Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
Colocasia flavicornisYellowhorn, Saddled Yellowhorn
Dasychira basiflavaYellow-Based Tussock Moth
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
Ellida caniplagaLinden Prominent
Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
Euchlaena marginariaOchre Euchlaena
Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
Hypena baltimoralisBaltimore Bomolocha, Baltimore Snout
Hypena deceptalisDeceptive Bomolocha, Deceptive Snout, Basswood Owlet Moth
Hypena eductalisRed-Footed Bomolocha, Red-footed Snout
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
Iridopsis ephyrariaPale-Winged Gray
Isa textulaCrowned Slug
Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
Lochmaeus bilineataDouble-Lined Prominent
Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthosia alurinaGray Quaker
Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
Panopoda carneicostaBrown Panopoda, Hickory Panopoda
Pantographa limataBasswood Leafroller Moth
Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
Paonias myopsSmall-Eyed Sphinx
Papilio glaucusEastern Tiger Swallowtail
Parallelia bistriarisMaple Looper Moth
Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
Phaeoura quernariaOak Beauty Moth
Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
Philonome clemensellaClemens' Philonome
Phyllonorycter lucetiellaBasswood Miner, Basswood Squareblotch Miner
Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
Pococera asperatellaMaple Webworm
Polygonia interrogationisQuestion Mark
Probole alienariaDogwood Probole, Alien Probole
Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
Psilocorsis reflexellaDotted Leaftier Moth
Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
Sciota vetustellaBelted Leafroller
Sericaglaea signataVariable Sallow
Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
Tarache terminimaculataCurve-Lined Bird-Dropping Moth, Curve-Lined Acontia
Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
Thalera pistasciariaPistachio Emerald
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
Zale minereaColorful Zale

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

3BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Tilia

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: MALVACEAE
Flower color: Yellow
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Single stem
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Early summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Yellow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Height · “About 90 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Leaf retention · “Deciduous” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNR
Global rank	G5T5
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

American Basswood; American Linden

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Tilia