# American Linden, Basswood, etc.



## LMN (Aug 17, 2005)

American Basswood, also known as American Linden, Nursery will understand Linden better than Basswood.If you want a smaller version, you can try the (Little Leaf Linden) also know as "Tilia Cordata" Dwarf Basswood. Try Lawyer Nursery Inc. 950 Highway 200 West Plains Montana 59859 www.lawyernursery.com I saw them priced at 6-12" @ $59 a 100 or 2-3' @ $1.22 each.

Worry wastes todays time cluttering tomorrows opportunities with yesterdays troubles.


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## J. Schneider (Sep 8, 2004)

I couldn't find it on thier site, any others?


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## Andrew Dewey (Aug 23, 2005)

Try Fedco - A Maine Cooperative. I bought 5 Lindens from them last year - price about $16/tree. Great trees, though they will need protection from deer.

http://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees.htm


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

We've got some nice basswood around here, the bees do love it though I understand that some years it just doesn't produce. When it does, the bees go nuts. They usually flower quite late for trees- around here, in mid-July. It's a relatively fast growing tree too, and seeds in well.

My brother-in-law runs a small nursery and sells a lot of stock to Fedco, they're probably your best choice. I don't believe he's got any basswood but we spoke last summer about propogating some so I know he plans to. If you're hard pressed to find any, let me know. He might be quite happy to dig some up for you.


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## DANIEL QUINCE (Jan 15, 2006)

I couldnt find any bellow $50. According to www.apitherapy.com/plants.php, you could get 1000-1200 kg/hectar (honey). I ordered seeds (linden and acacia) from www.treehelp.com , for the next generation I guess. You can propagate them if you already have some. I would appreciate if you could update us on the issue.
Thank you
Daniel


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I haven't looked lately but it seems like Gurney's used to have them. They also used to have Sourwood trees, but it seems like I couldn't find them in the last catalog.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

The Arbor Day Foundation has 3-4' Linden, Littleleaf (Tilia cordata) for $6.98 each (member price) or $10 each (non-member price). 

http://www.arborday.org/Shopping/Trees/TreeDetail.cfm?id=119


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## bleakley (Jun 13, 2004)

Stark Bros. has a "Redmond Linden" in their catalog. They're located in Missouri. www.starkbros.com


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

Anyone know the life cycle of the tree? How old they have to be for flowering? their max size? etc?

Waya


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

I have three mature basswood trees on my property. Last spring I planted 50 seedlings from Cascade Nursery. This is the most efficient way to go.

Here is information about the tree: 
Ohio Forestry Basswood 

Here is the best source for Basswood Trees:
Cascade Forestry 

They currently list two sizes of Basswood available

18-24" available only in bundles of 25.
Price is $2.60 each.
Age: 1-0 This means one year old. the "0" refers to the number of years in a transplant bed. In this case, none.

What I bought and planted last year:

2-3'
Bundle size: 25 

Age: 2-0/1-1 

This means either 2 years old and all years as originally planted, or one year as planted and one year in transplant bed.

Price for these is either $7.25 per tree or if purchased in a bundle of 25, $3.65 per tree.

I have been dealing with Cascade for 4 years and I am very happy with their service. You may be able to get a tree planter (3 point hitch, goes behind your tractor) from your County extensaion or soil conservation service. This is the best way to plant these trees. My wife and I can plant 25 trees in 30 minutes this way, without breaking your back.

I multched them with old straw left from what I used as wind breaks for the bees to keep the moisture in and the weeds down.


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## J. Schneider (Sep 8, 2004)

The Cascade Forestry is looking like the best option right now. We're thinking of getting about a dozen 2-3' trees. Man, their price just can't be beat! A local nursery wanted $25 for 4' tree.


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## J. Schneider (Sep 8, 2004)

Just as a side note, that tree picture at the Ohio Forestry site looks EXACTLY like one of our mature trees in our yard! Right down to the split close to the ground and the way the branches spread out. Amazing.


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## [email protected] (Aug 1, 2004)

Before planting Linden, one of our most magnificant trees, be sure you know what it will look like in 20 years...just a blink in the trees life.

The American Linden in 20 years will be at least 20 feet tall (a two story house), more likely 25 feet, and will have a branch circumference of no less than 15 feet and more likely 20 feet. Grown properly, the branches will come down to the groud and form a skirt.


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## J. Schneider (Sep 8, 2004)

david, on the trees that you recieved, was it bare root or with a soil ball?


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

It is a bare root. The trees are shipped in waxed cartons, UPS. Each carton is about 4-5 feet long and maybe 2 foot high and wide THere are lots of fine rootlets.

I had 100% survival of my basswoods through the summer, except for one I mowed off!

I purchased and planted 700 white pines and red cedars from them the first time. 2 years ago I bought 100 black locusts and planted them in some really bad ground (pond spoils).

When you plant them with the tree planter, it is like planting tomatoes (if you ever did that commercially with the old type planters, not the newer ones). Some of the basswoods I got last year were actually too big to plant with the tree planter and I had to do them by hand. It took me longer to plant the 5 around my bee yard than the other 45 across the ditch!

Somebody else on this board got 25 or 50 from Cascade last year too and he was happy with them, can't remember who it was. Search for basswood and you will find a discussion on it from last year.


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## George Fergusson (May 19, 2005)

>Anyone know the life cycle of the tree? How old they have to be for flowering? their max size? etc?

Well, they have to be a certain size/age to bloom, I'm not sure what that is. I have Basswood ranging in size from seedlings to full grown multi-trunk trees 60' tall. Last summer I was watching some smaller 8'-10' trees, perhaps 2"-3" in diameter, and they never did bloom. Another, maybe 5" in diameter and 20' tall did bloom.

Basswood is typically an under-story tree, growing as shrubbery under larger trees. Eventually, they get big enough to reach some sun and spread out a bit. They're a nice tree. When the bees are in the Basswood, the air hums.


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## Charles Fry (Nov 30, 2005)

Just my two cents, but also look at the tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/forestry/Education/ohiotrees/tuliptree.htm

Really grows fast, straight, and is a beautiful native.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I too have one about 3" in diameter and about 10 ft tall. Last year it had about 10 blooms on it. Not a lot by basswood standards, but I'm hopeful that this year will be much better. I also have a few others around 3 ft tall and two years old and haven't seen anything on them. Mine are the Greenspire linden (cultivar of Littleleaf linden)


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Yes Charles I agree, the Tulip poplar is a noble tree! Straight, fast growing. I would like to find a few...


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Tulip poplar is a great honey tree; in fact its my primary spring nectar source. I have samples of extracted tulip poplar honey over four years old that have not crystallized yet! It does; however, take a very long time before blossoms appear. I recall hearing about 10 years. I have a small one that is at least 8 years old and still hasn't bloomed yet. BTW, they are very easy to propagate from seeds. 

Again, Arbor Day Foundation has them:

http://www.arborday.org/shopping/trees/treedetail.cfm?ID=25


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## DChap (Oct 19, 2005)

Received a Gurneys catalog couple of weeks ago they have both linden and tulip trees. The linden 4'-5' is $39.95 4'-5' tulip tree is $19.95 both are a little less for three or more. Arbor Foundation prices much less but trees are much smaller. 


Blessed be
Doug


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## jjs488 (Mar 31, 2007)

*Tilia americana characteristics*

Hi i'm a Forest Biology student at PennState we just learned about Tilia americana. They reach a height of 70-80 feet max height of 140 feet and can attain diameters at breast height of around 2-3 feet with a maximum of up to 7 feet. flowers appear in late spring when the leaves are nearly full grown. They are considered shade tolerant and can tolerate dense shade when very young. it grows best on moist, deep, loamy soils. its sprouts prolifically and you may be able to use cuttings to start new trees. try it out you may save some money. My dendrology book (Harlow and Harrar's Textbook of Dendrology by Hardin, Leopold and White 2001) and says that the tree matures in 90-140 years, but I think that means it only lives that long??? not the flowering age. I could not find how old the trees must be to flower. wait i found it on the US forest service's silvics page "Flowering generally occurs in June but can begin in late May or early July, depending on latitude and annual variations in temperature." and "The seed-bearing age for basswood generally ranges from 15 to 100 years, but seed production at age 8 years (10 years from seed) has been noted."


http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/Volume_2/tilia/americana.htm for basswood but here is the site for all other trees
http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.shtm
This is a great resource for all your tree questions.
Hope I helped.

~JOHN


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Although not a poplar at all, the tulip poplar makes some of my favorite honey and is also a nice ordamental. Some linden trees have an early blossom that makes a nice tea. Lots of countries use it and I think that the Serbs call it 'Lipa", although I find in mostly with Greek or Mexican foods in the supermarket.


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Welcome to the forum John. Good luck with finals.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

*Hi John, let me join Aspera in welcoming you.*

Funny you should mention


> You may be able to use cuttings to start new trees.


I pruned my basswood saplings in early March before they had started to bud out. I stuck some of the cuttings in the mud near by. I'll be darned if I don't have leaf out on the cuttings! I hope they have developed enough root to suport the leaves. 

In retrospect I think I should have made the cuttings shorter with just a couple of buds above ground level.

But I plan to do more of this if it works!


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## Danko (Mar 31, 2007)

*Linden-Lipa*

You have right Aspera,LIPA is the corect name on serbian language for linden tree.In Serbia linden blooms and honey are used in traditional medicine and for tea .After acacia linden tree is second source of honey in Serbia,problem with linden is that doesn't produce nectar every year.Three types exists over here Tilia tomentosa,Tilia grandifolia,Tilia parvifolia.


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

I have some wonderful neighbors who introduced me to the joys of Lipa, homemade plum brandy and ajvar. Maybe there is hope that Iraqis won't hate all North Americans....


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## Danko (Mar 31, 2007)

*Aspera*

Regards for your neigbors.We are in good relation with North Americans!!!

No hope about Iraqis there is no Linden tree in Iraq.


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## Patersmith (May 24, 2005)

Burgess has the Tulip trees and Sourwood trees on sale right now for those interested. 2 for $2 @3~4' tall. I ordered some Sourwood, and a little over half made it. 

http://www.eburgess.com/detail.asp?nav=tre&pid=6753

http://www.eburgess.com/detail.asp?nav=tre&pid=6752


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

We have quite a bit of Basswood in our area and I think it is the best honey we get in our region, some years being nearly white. What we have to keep in mind about tree bloom is trees run in cycles where they gain energy over a period of years, have a peak bloom which is directly followed by a huge seed crop (the fruit of those blooms). The tree then, having expended such energy on a large bloom and seed crop, start the cycle again, thus the big crop of honey every 3 to 5 yrs. depending on weather. We see the same thing in the quality of maple sap in our sugaring operation. In low seed crop years with good weather we have high sugar content and better/more syrup the following year until the big seed (we call it helicopter season as we watch them fall from the trees) and then know it will be 40 or more gallon of sap to produce a gallon of syrup year next year.


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Patersmith said:


> Burgess has the Tulip trees and Sourwood trees on sale right now for those interested. 2 for $2 @3~4' tall. I ordered some Sourwood, and a little over half made it.


Is burgess pretty good to deal with? Seems kind of late in the year to order trees. I tried to get some tulip poplar to grow from seed this spring but it didn't come up. I was thinking of taking some cuttings and trying that way.


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## Limey (Feb 10, 2007)

I could not find basswood or sourwood in the Burgess catalog. Although the Lily-of-the-Valley Tree looks wonderful. 

I planted 5 sourwoods 2 months ago and they are all looking wonderful. Almost doubled in height.


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## Patersmith (May 24, 2005)

BerkeyDavid said:


> Is burgess pretty good to deal with? Seems kind of late in the year to order trees. I tried to get some tulip poplar to grow from seed this spring but it didn't come up. I was thinking of taking some cuttings and trying that way.


This is the first time I ordered from them. I researced them on the BBB website, and there is a lot of complaints about the condition the plants arrived in, getting a refund for plants that didn't survive, and the length of time to recieve the order. I placed the order in late Febuary and recieved them just a couple weeks ago. However, at the prices they were selling the trees for, I figured it would be worth the risk. Like I said, half of them died, which means the seven trees that survived cost me only $14. 

My wife wanted some flowers, and I ordered some Crownvetch so I'm not including the $9 s&h in that figure.


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## Limey (Feb 10, 2007)

I ordered 25 basswood from here:
http://www.cascadeforestry.com/products/product_detail.php?prod_id=11

They arrived within a week and very well packed. Roots were damp. I have not had time to plant them, but put all 25 in a 5 gallon tub. Within a few days there were lots of green..


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