American Basswood; American Linden
Tilia americana var. heterophylla
Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 88%
- Height
- About 90 feet
- Light
- Up to 6 hours of direct sun

At a glance
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- Early summer
- Fruiting season
- Summer to fall
Not yet recorded · Spread · Soil · Life cycle
Recorded in 2 Louisiana parishes.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 90 animals.
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- Chuck-will's-widowCaprimulgus carolinensis
- Common GrackleQuiscalus quiscula
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Cooper's HawkAccipiter cooperii
- Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus
- Downy WoodpeckerPicoides pubescens
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asio
- Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus
- Eastern Wood-peweeContopus virens
- Eurasian Collared-doveStreptopelia decaocto
- European StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Fish CrowCorvus ossifragus
- Fox SparrowPasserella iliaca
- Golden-crowned KingletRegulus satrapa
- Gray CatbirdDumetella carolinensis
- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Hairy WoodpeckerPicoides villosus
- Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus
- Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
Who uses this plant?
106CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA
Genus host records with ranges including LA · Tilia
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
- Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
- Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
- Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
- Acronicta interruptaInterrupted Dagger
- Acronicta spinigeraNondescript Dagger
- Actias lunaLuna Moth
- Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
- Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Show all 106
- Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
- 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 propinquilineaClosebanded Yellowhorn
- Dasychira basiflavaYellow-Based Tussock Moth
- Datana drexeliiDrexel's Datana
- 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
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
- 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 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
- Thalera pistasciariaPistachio Emerald
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
- Zale minereaColorful Zale
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 4.0No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Plant details
- Family
- MALVACEAE
- Flower color
- Yellow
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Growth habit
- Single stem
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Fall
What its natural habitat tells you
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
| Louisiana rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5T5 |
| LA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Sources
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Louisiana occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications

























