Linden Wood

Valuable

Yonak

John, I believe your tree would be quite valuable to carvers. I sold a lot of basswood to a decoy carver some years ago and, if I had had three times as much, he would have gladly bought it. There are lots of carvers around. Plus, it dries pretty quickly .. more slowly, of course, the thicker it is cut.

Re: Valuable---not to arborists

Tom Dunlap

Arborists would love to GIVE AWAY basswood instead of hauling it to the dump

I had a guy meet on a job to get basswood chunks. He was there as we were taking the trunk down. I chunked off some rounds from the trunk...like firewood...and he used is wedges and splitting maul to make the size he needed. All the while not getting in the way. He had a good dolly for carting off the chunks. We helped him too. He didn't take much but it was just a little less for us to load and dump.

Seeing the tree being used for something more than fire or woodchips is always a good thing

Re: Valuable---not to arborists

Sam Force

Linden wood when spalted is beautiful, definitely worth saving

way better for carving than firewood

question

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

What is "little leaf linden tree" ? Does the wood resemble basswood? Whether it is worth fooling with will depend on its size and whether there are knot free sections and whether it cavers like basswood. Carvers like straight grain. You can likely buy basswood boards at a hardwood lumber supplier at a fraction the bdft cost of craft store prices.

Re: question

Jack Dover

It's a species of a linden tree native to Europe. "Basswood" is I believe a word for lumber from a linden tree. In my experience they're pretty much identical, but you might want to hut the wood database website to compare US native linden and European.

Basswood or Linden?

Tom Dunlap

They are all Tilia sp.

I’ve asked my arborist buddies what the difference is between American Linden and Basswood. Both are Tilia americana

After some discussion the conclusion is based on two things: location and hallow

When a linden gets old enough to become hallow or they’ve grown in the woods they become basswood

There are many Linden species grown for size and canopy shape. The wood is the same in all of them. Branch structure is different though

Basswood or Linden? local names

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

In New York State the tree and wood is called basswood and basswood is the name for the lumber once it enters marketing. When I moved to TN the old timer sawyers referred to a tree they called "Lin". It was what I knew as basswood. Now days I only here the tree and wood called basswood. I live at its southern range. A few trees prosper here in the damp hollows. 50 miles north it becomes more common, again in damp locations. It was common in central NY. The old timers also spoke of "spruce-pine". It is what we know as hemlock.

In the 80's we sold a lot of basswood to cabinet shops to be used as facing on birch kitchen cabinets. It was valued for its ability to stain uniformly. When birch cabinets passed in fashion the market for the lumber tanked. A tiny demand for ceiling fan blades remained and then that too passed. We were stuck with basswood inventory that we never could sell. Finally I cut some up for someone that did wood burning novelties but kept a 12" wide board in hope someone would need it.

I bought some 8/4 some years ago to use for drawer bottoms. Haven't used any yet. Still working off some western cedar for this application.

Re: Linden Wood

Paul Blackwell

There used to be a ladder manufacturer in Marion, NY which used Basswood for the ladder sides. It was a quality product, lightweight and came in lengths up to about 14'.. I had an extension ladder from them for many years. The spindles were Ash or Oak, I believe. They went out of business when most of all available Basswood lumber was purchased by Japan.

Re:  Basswood or Linden? local names

Jack Dover

These 12" wide could command a really attractive prices today, they're highly sought after by icon painters and carvers. There's an article on this subject in the latest M&T magazine, I also used to know a carver doing icons for orthodox churches. He was buying imported glued basswood panels from somewhere, the prices were ridiculous (well, it's "ridiculous" only when you pay, otherwise they're really great, right?), I remember wondering why couldn't they be sourced locally.

Question ladder story

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I have been in, or at least kept up with, hardwood lumber market since late 1970's. I have never seen basswood in short supply. We stocked and sold it for years until the market for it went to zero. It was always an inexpensive wood. And weak too. Seems an unlikely choice for a ladder. As I recall from my early days of climbing wooden ladders they were fir.

Now price of old growth fir did become high because of demand for fir house beams in Japan.

At one time maple prices spiked where 8/4 maple was higher than walnut. I was told that Japan discovered bowling and places to bowl were springing up and sucking up supply. Quality at this time sucked and we moved industrial users to ash.

planting basswood trees

John K Jordan

Tom, My property is on the TN Forestry greenbelt and I've been clearing certain areas that were overgrown with privet, bush honeysuckle, vines, and worthless virginia pines leaving quite a bit of open space with light between y.poplars, oaks, dogwoods, cherry, persimmons, etc.

I'd like to try growing a few basswood trees but I've never found one in my treks through the woods. Would they be likely to survive in soil where the above trees thrive as well as eastern red cedar, maple, sourwood, walnuts, etc.?

Where can I find basswood saplings to plant?

JKJ

Re: planting basswood trees

Tom Dunlap

This should answer your tree questions:

http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/tilame/all.html#:~:text=GENERAL%20DISTRIBUTION%3A%20The%20native%20range,eastern%20Kansas%2C%20and%20northeastern%20Oklahoma%3B

Talk with your regional state forester to find a seedling source. Don't delay, most sales of bare root material is done in the fall. YOu may live in one of the green regions in the maps but Basswood may not grow where you are because of altitude/topography/soil. Foresters will know all of that.

Re: planting basswood trees

William Duffield

Linden trees grow well in my area, as do all the other species on your list. I don't notice a lot of linden seedlings, however, even though I have mature lindens outside my back door and in my woods. Differences are that I am at sea level and zone 7.

Re:  Basswood or Linden? local names

William Duffield

My understanding is that carvers who burn details on their (mostly bird) carvings, prefer tupelo over basswood. I don't have any relevant firsthand experience, because I haven't done any wood burning in over 60 years.

too hot and dry to be native

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

We are on the southern limit for basswood, at best. It grows native here in the bottom of the north facing damp hollows right against the creeks or wet weather creeks. We have some on our timberlands growing amongst sycamores on the north side of ridges. This information shows basswood is not naturally competitive with other trees where you live. But not competitive does not mean a planted and managed seedling can't live and grow. If poplar does not thrive where you intend to plant, forget basswood, at least the native variety.

Forestry will be a useless source of information but UT's landscaping professors would likely know if some variety will survive as a yard tree.

Re: Question ladder story

Paul Blackwell

Bill, if you Goggle -Topping Ladder Company, Marion, NY- You'll come up with several hits. Several of them show old newspaper articles or ads about the company, and some mention that Basswood was used for the sides with Ash rungs. I worked at a sawmill for one winter in 1950 (coldest I've ever been in my life), and every time we sawed Basswood, it went to Topping for ladders.

Re: planting basswood trees

John K Jordan

>>>Talk with your regional state forester to find a seedling source. Don't delay, most sales of bare root material is done in the fall. YOu may live in one of the green regions in the maps but Basswood may not grow where you are because of altitude/topography/soil. Foresters will know all of that.

Thanks. A few weeks ago I talked to a forester recommended by the county and he wasn't sure but said it would be worth trying. He was going to look for a source of saplings but I haven't heard back yet. I haven't had any success finding a local source.

It was fun talking to a fellow tree fanatic!

Tree fanatic

Tom Dunlap

A number of years ago I lead a recreational climb/campout on the Olympic Peninsula. We had a crew from CBS Sunday Morning along to do an article about a couple that was in the group. Rita Braver was gathered everyone together to do interviews. As she was asking questions I knew that if I wasn't succinct and clever I'd miss out on screen time. She asked me why I liked trees so much. My answer:

I don't bleed, I drip sap!

It was broadcast hehehheheh

Re: too hot and dry to be native

John K Jordan

>>>We are on the southern limit for basswood, at best.

...If poplar does not thrive where you intend to plant, forget basswood, at least the native variety.

You might indicate the type of tree since several are commonly called poplar. As mentioned, yellow poplar grows extremely well here - I have hundreds of trees all over the property with a few up to almost 3-4' in diameter.

According to the USDA et. al. the range of basswood species in the US is considerable:

https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/tilame/all.html#DISTRIBUTION%20AND%20OCCURRENCE

JKJ