Also called bois blanc, 🇫🇷 French for "white wood." [1]   ( The wood is very white. )

Part of mallow  family Malvaceae.

Native to 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 North America's Midwest and East.  🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48), 🗺 map (North America, Central America),  Adobe Acrobat Reader file 🗺 today + with climate change (eastern 🇺🇸 USA).

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)   Said to make great honey, and make great lashing ties from inner bark.  🪵 Its wood can be turned into salt-to-fresh water membranes. [2]

Tilia hosts caterpillars of 150 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.   This plant is also known to be a host for (in areas where invasive) 🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF)  Lycorma delicatula.

Said to sprout freely.

References

[1]  Bois blanc was probably mangled by 🇬🇧 English-speakers to become what Detroiters remember as the  ▷  Boblo Island Amusement Park, which operated for 95 years on 🇨🇦 Canada's Bablo Island.  (🇨🇦 Canadians have always called it Bois Blanc Island.)

[2]  "A super-thin slice of wood can be used to turn saltwater drinkable."  New Scientist.  .   Accessed .

Learn more about American basswood (American linden) Tilia americana

🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Michigan Flora (Michigan) MSU Ext (Minnesota) Wildflower Garden Minnesota Wildflowers Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Plants Native Plant Trust Flora of North America USDA PLANTS db USFS USFS Silvics Wikipedia

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🏠︎ 🌳︎ broadleaves, ╟ alternate, 🍂︎ simple non-lobed ▲▲ toothed multiple short 🌳︎🍃︎ broadleaves, branches ╟ alternate, list of attributes, no catkins thorns pods, terminal buds w/2 ⨇ scales

🍐︎ common pear  Pyrus communis

🐝︎ spotted lanternfly (SLF)  Lycorma delicatula