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Tilia americana var. caroliniana
Tilia americana L. var. caroliniana (Mill.) Castigl.
Carolina Basswood, Florida Basswood, Small-leaved Basswood, Downy Basswood, Carolina Linden, Florida Linden, Small-leaved Linden, Downy Linden
Tiliaceae (Linden Family)
Synonym(s): Tilia australis, Tilia caroliniana, Tilia caroliniana var. rhoophila, Tilia floridana, Tilia floridana var. hypoleuca, Tilia floridana var. oblongifolia, Tilia georgiana, Tilia leptophylla, Tilia leucocarpa, Tilia leucocarpa var. brevipedunculata, Tilia littoralis, Tilia porracea, Tilia pubescens
USDA Symbol: tiamc
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Found on stream banks, infrequent. Leaves up to 5 inches long, blade broadly ovate with toothed margins, tip emerging rather abruptly from the blade, base of blade at an oblique angle to the petiole, flat to somewhat lobed. Flowers and fruits in a cluster emerging from the midpoint of a distinctive bract up to 4 inches long by an inch wide. Flowers white to yellowish; fruit spherical, about 1/4 inch in diameter when mature.
Carolina Basswood, found at low altitudes, is the southernmost basswood variety. It is uncommon and usually of small size. The wood is of limited value, but like all basswoods, it is a useful honey plant.
From the Image Gallery
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Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Tree
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Inflorescence: Cyme
Fruit Type: Nut
Size Notes: Up to about 100 feet tall.
Fruit: Nut-like.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , YellowBloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , FL , GA , LA , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , TN , TXNative Distribution: South Carolina south to Florida, west to Texas and north to Oklahoma and Missouri.
Native Habitat: Moist soils of valleys and rocky uplands; in hardwood forests.
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native BeesSpecial Value to Honey Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control
This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Bibliography
Bibref 298 - Field Guide to Texas Trees (1999) Simpson, B.J.Bibref 354 - Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 57 - Atlas of Florida Plants (2020) Institute for Systematic BotanyWebref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Tilia americana var. caroliniana in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Tilia americana var. caroliniana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Tilia americana var. caroliniana
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-05-23Research By: TWC Staff