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), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you
68
Strong
Native to Virginia. 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 40 Virginia counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 3
Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 140 animals.
- Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Song SparrowMelospiza melodia
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
- Yellow-crowned Night-heronNyctanassa violacea
- Yellow-throated WarblerDendroica dominica
- American CootFulica americana
- American Tree SparrowSpizella arborea
- Bank SwallowRiparia riparia
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- CanvasbackAythya valisineria
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Magnolia WarblerDendroica magnolia
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
144CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA
Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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 144
- 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 cerasivoranaCherry Tent Caterpillar, Cherry Worm, Ugly Nest Caterpillar
- Archips purpuranaOmnivorous Leafroller Moth
- Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
- Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
- Callosamia prometheaPromethea Silkmoth, Promethea Moth
- Campaea perlataPale Beauty, Fringed Looper
- Catocala cerogamaYellow-Banded Underwing
- 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
- Colocasia propinquilineaClosebanded Yellowhorn
- Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
- Dasychira basiflavaYellow-Based Tussock Moth
- Dasychira obliquataStreaked Tussock Moth
- Dasychira plagiataNorthern Conifer 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
- Eulia ministranaFerruginous Eulia
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Eupsilia tristigmataThree-Spotted Sallow, Brown Fruitworm
- 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 piniataPine Measuringworm Moth, Pine Variant
- 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
- Lacanobia grandisGrand Arches
- Limenitis arthemisBanded Purple, Red-Spotted Admiral
- Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
- Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
- Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
- Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
- Lithophane petulcaWanton Pinion
- Lithophane semiustaSinged Pinion
- Lithophane tepidaWarm Gray Pinion, White-Eyes Pinion
- Lochmaeus bilineataDouble-Lined Prominent
- Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
- Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
- Lophocampa maculataSpotted Tussock Moth, Yellow-Spotted Tiger Moth
- Lycia ypsilonWoolly Gray
- Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
- Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
- Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
- Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
- Metarranthis amyrisariaX
- Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
- Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
- Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
- Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
- Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
- Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
- Oreana unicolorellaLadder-Marked Caterpillar
- Orgyia definitaDefinite Tussock Moth
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Orthosia alurinaGray Quaker
- Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
- Orthosia revictaSubdued Quaker
- Packardia elegansElegant Tailed Slug
- Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
- Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
- Pandemis canadanaGreen Aspen Leaftier
- Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
- 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
- Plagodis phlogosariaStraight-Lined Plagodis
- Plagodis serinariaLemon 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
- Selenia kentariaKent's Geometer
- Sericaglaea signataVariable Sallow
- Smerinthus jamaicensisTwin-Spotted Sphinx
- Symmerista leucitysOrange-Humped Mapleworm
- 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
- Tortricidia testaceaEarly Button Slug
- Xanthotype sospetaCrocus Geometer
- Zale minereaColorful Zale
- Coleophora querciella
- Coleophora sacramenta
- Herpetogramma aquilonalis
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 claimNo 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
| Virginia rank | S5 |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5T5 |
| VA status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.
Choose a county to begin.
Sources
- Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition
- NatureServe Explorer
- 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