Species Category Name: Woody
Tilia americana blooms in June, oftentimes attracting enough bees that their buzzing can be heard from several feet away! Honey made from American basswood flowers is a prized gourmet item. Chipmunks, mice, and squirrels feed on the tree’s seeds, while rabbits and voles feed on its bark.
Liriodendron tulipifera is Indiana’s state tree.
The tulip poplar is planted for reforestation purposes because of its rapid growth and the commercial importance of its wood, and is often planted as an ornamental.
This species has some wildlife value. The fruits provide food for squirrels in the late fall and winter months, and the white-tailed deer often browse on the twigs.
LEAVES Up to 10 inches long, 3-6 inches wide, simple, alternately arranged, with coarsely serrated margins. Young leaves have downy undersides that smooth with age
TWIGS Smooth and reddish-green, becoming light gray in their second year and eventually dark brown or brownish gray
FLOWERS Small, greenish-white to creamy white to yellow, grouped into loose, pendulous clusters
FRUIT Small and nut-like, changing from green to brown or reddish-brown
YOUNG BARK Gray-green, smooth, and thin
AGED BARK Gray to light brown, with narrow, well defined fissures
MATURE HEIGHT 40-130 feet
