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American Linden (Bundle of 3) | Spring 2027
$99.99
Reliable shipping
Flexible returns
Ripening
Will it finish before your first hard freeze?
Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)
Disease resistanceResists 1 of 1
- 4 Verticillium wilt : Resistant, 4 of 5
Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.
See it on our native and shade tree disease chart (opens in a new tab)At a glance: American Linden is a linden tree rated hardy to zone 2 in our ratings (winters to -50°F), and needs no pollination.
| Also called | Basswood, American basswood (Tilia americana) |
|---|---|
| Hardy to | Zone 2 to 8. A bare number means the whole of zone 2, colder half included (winters to -50°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator. |
| Chill hours | About 800 hours (600 to 1,200). From published figures. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources. |
| Pollination | No Pollination Needed. Linden is grown for shade and bee forage, so you do not need a second tree for anything you want from it. Its summer flowers are a top nectar source for honeybees and other pollinators, but it blooms long after fruit trees and is not an orchard pollenizer. Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Pollination Charts. |
| Good for | Pollinators (9/10), shade (7/10), feeding wildlife (6/10), ornamental value (6/10), wood (6/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists. |
| Deer | Sometimes damaged by deer. |
| What you get | Bare root, 3-5 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out. |
American Linden, also known as Basswood, is native to eastern North America—stretching from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, and south through northeast Oklahoma and South Carolina, with a western reach along the Niobrara River to Cherry County, Nebraska.
Late Bloomer, Big Impact
This tree is excellent for attracting pollinators and happens to be the latest blooming tree in Missoula (at least that we’re aware of). It can set blossoms as late as the end of July—a full two months after most other trees have bloomed! That makes it an incredibly valuable mid-summer food source for honeybees when not much else is blooming. Also, this is one of a handful of deciduous trees that actually reach their true form in Western Montana. Many deciduous trees simply seem stunted even at maturity given our calcareous, dry soils and harsh climate.
Delicious Honey & Coppicing Potential
Linden honey is some of the best-tasting honey out there—light, floral, and truly unique. American Linden is also a great species for coppicing, making it versatile beyond its ornamental and ecological value.
Cold Hardy & Ready to Grow
Hardy to Zone 2, this tree is built for cold climates and tough conditions.
Plants are 3-5 ft. tall
Questions we get about American Linden
How cold hardy is American Linden?
We rate American Linden hardy to zone 2, which means winters down to about -50°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.
How many chill hours does American Linden need?
About 800 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 600 and 1,200. That comes from published figures for this variety. In an Auburn University trial, American linden leafed out best after 600 to 1,000 chill hours. Any northern winter covers that easily. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.
What is American Linden good for?
Our top use scores for American Linden are pollinators (9/10), shade (7/10), feeding wildlife (6/10), ornamental value (6/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.
Is American Linden disease resistant?
Yes. It's resistant to verticillium wilt. Our native and shade tree disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.
Will deer eat American Linden?
Sometimes. Deer browse American Linden now and then, so protect young plants where deer pressure is high.
What arrives, and when does American Linden ship?
A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 3-5 ft. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.