Basswood, aka American linden, is a wide-spreading, round-topped tree that provides dense shade and grows at a moderate pace to 60 or 80 feet.  It usually has two or more trunks, soft green foliage that turns yellow or brown in fall, and fragrant yellow flowers that are so rich with nectar that this “bee tree” literally hums in spring. Basswood has wide-reaching wildlife benefits (see below), and is easily identified by prominent, lipstick-red buds.  While it prefers to be in part sun and moist, well-drained soil, it is highly adaptable to soil conditions and is tolerant of shade.  
 
Native habitats include moist upland woods and slopes, protected bluffs, b