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

Strong

Native to West Virginia. 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 8 West 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

Moist forests

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

Rich cove forests

Sheltered, moist mountain hollows and lower slopes with deep, fertile soil.

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 West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 136 animals.

American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Barred Owl
Strix varia
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Brown Thrasher
Toxostoma rufum
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Cerulean Warbler
Dendroica cerulea
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Chipping Sparrow
Spizella passerina
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Birds. 4 shared habitats

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

139CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · 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 139

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
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
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 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
Lithomoia germanaAmerican Brindle
Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
Lithophane bethuneiBethune's Pinion
Lithophane innominataNameless Pinion
Lithophane laticinereaBroad Ashen Pinion, Russet Spotted Pinion, Triple-Spotted Pinion
Lithophane petulcaWanton Pinion
Lithophane semiustaSinged 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
Macaria exauspicataSpeckled Granite
Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
Metarranthis duariaRuddy Metarranthis
Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Morrisonia latexFluid Arches, Fluid Mamestra
Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
Nemoria mimosariaWhite-Fringed Emerald
Nymphalis antiopaMourning Cloak
Olethreutes nigranumVariable Nigranum, Dark Olethreutes
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 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 canadensisCanadian Tiger Swallowtail
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
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
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
Herpetogramma aquilonalis

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

West Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5T5
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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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