Carolina basswood
|
Tilia americana var. caroliniana
|
Malvaceae
|
Landscape Uses:
|
|
Specimen, accent, or shade tree. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
|
|
Availability: |
|
Available at native plant nurseries in northeast and central Florida. |
Description: |
|
Deciduous tree with brownish to grayish bark up to 75 feet tall. Leaves 2-8 inches long with serrated edges. Small, fragrant white flowers in the spring. |
Height: |
|
Typically 75 feet in height, taller than broad. Up to 120 feet in height in the Florida Panhandle. |
Growth Rate: |
|
Seedlings are slow-growing, fast once established. |
Range: |
|
Eastern half of the United States from Maine to North Dakota south to Texas and Hillsborough to Osceola counties. For a digitized image of Elbert Little's Florida range map, visit the Exploring Florida website. |
Habitats: |
|
Moist hammocks. |
Soils: |
|
Moist, well-drained sandy or limestone soils, with humusy top layer. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
|
Moderate; can grow in nutrient poor soils, but needs some organic content to thrive. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
|
Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
|
Low; salt wind may burn the leaves. |
Drought Tolerance: |
|
Moderate; generally requires moist soils, but tolerant of short periods of drought once established. |
Light Requirements: |
|
Full sun to light shade. |
Flower Color: |
|
White. |
Flower Characteristics: |
|
Semi-showy. |
Flowering Season: |
|
Spring. |
Fruit: |
|
Tiny, dry, hard and reddish. |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
|
Attracts bees. Larval plant for red-spotted purple (Basilarchia arthemis astyanax) and mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) butterflies. |
Horticultural Notes: |
|
|
Comments: |
|
We are currently adding data for this species for central and northern Florida. If you would like to contribute information or images, please contact George Gann via the IRC staff page. |
|
|
|
|