Growing Basswood for its Edible Leaves

I am always on the lookout for perennial vegetables and have known about the edibility of Basswood leaves for a long time. It was not until this past September that I became a property owner and have the ability now to apply what I have learned to the land. My idea was to plant one in the yard somwhere and keep it small by giving it a heavy pruning when it becomes too unruly; anybody doing this? I have tasted both young and mature leaves and find them very palatable.

We're in the process of buying land, and I'm trying to germinate loads of european linden seeds (in the fridge undergoing stratification at the moment). The tasty leaves is definitely one reason I want them, and the plan is to use some of the plants in a coppice-type system (provided any of them sprout) so that's kinda similar to your idea. I'd like to let some trees reach maturity though, to provide flowers for the pollinators...

It would be really helpful if you could identify the Botanical name as well as the common name as sometimes the same common name is used for more than one plant species depending on where one is on the planet.
For example, I just went looking on the web and found this: "The trees are sometimes called "lime" in Britain and "linden" in parts of Europe and North America. The most common name for the tree in North America is American basswood (Tilia americana), but there are several varieties with separate names."
You may find that one variety is much more palatable than others for example. I'm told that's true of Hostas (commonly known as hostas, plantain lilies and occasionally by the Japanese name gibōshi - Hosta capitata is one of many examples).

I have a few small leaved lime, Tilia cordata, which I am growing partly for their leaves.  So far I just pull a few off as I pass as they are pretty small tree as yet.  
I gather they coppice very well, they certainly tend to send up lots of shoots from the base of the trunk even if left to to maturity, but grow OK in some shade so suiting a forest garden. They're also supposed to make good cordage which would be fun to try.
There are some lovely specimens at Armadale castle gardens at the South end of Skye, so I am hopeful they will at least survive on my better drained bits, and am actually intending to plant some more for coppicing (replacing my ash 😢) the first planted have done so well.

I'm putting in a Tilia cordata (little-leaf linden, European lime) this spring for edible leaves. We won't coppice it because I want a shade tree, but I'm sure it can work well. I think the American species is good for eating too, but I have heard the European variety is best.

Oh yeah, the seeds I'm trying come from planted trees around here, and are most likely Tilia x europaea (common linden?) I hope the seeds are still viable, even though it's a hybrid, but they looked fully formed to me... Did anyone try this? I guess it's just to wait and see...

I would really love to grow some Basswood here on our property.  Does anyone have a source for getting seeds or small trees? I'm in Canada.

I remember the tree well from camping trips in college, loved the large leaves that we had on the trees in Ontario.

My son and daughter in law named their daughter Tilia! Her bedroom is done in a nature mural with Basswood trees, animal, birds and footprints.

It isn't Basswood, but I have a 1000 Black Walnut and a small number of other tree seeds stratifying in my fridge right now.

Matt Mill wrote:I'm putting in a Tilia cordata (little-leaf linden, European lime) this spring for edible leaves. We won't coppice it because I want a shade tree, but I'm sure it can work well. I think the American species is good for eating too, but I have heard the European variety is best.

Are you aware quite how massive these trees get? We had one that dropped a section of stem in a recent storm. It ripped off from 18ft up.  The piece that dropped was 90ft long, from but to leaf tips. The butt end was about 5ft diameter. They are beautiful trees, but not suitable for most locations without a eye to a regular pruning schedule.

The pollarded ones near us are cut in winter back to a scaffold of established branches. The canopy is fully leafed out by early summer with vigorous growth.

Michael Cox wrote:

Matt Mill wrote:I'm putting in a Tilia cordata (little-leaf linden, European lime) this spring for edible leaves. We won't coppice it because I want a shade tree, but I'm sure it can work well. I think the American species is good for eating too, but I have heard the European variety is best.

Are you aware quite how massive these trees get?

Yes! Thanks. We have 90 acres, and wonderful maturing forests, as well as a nut tree plantation we are planting.

I know I've seen Basswood in the area, but can't find one on my property.

Hi there Kate,
We have seedlings of the European linden. Where in Ontario are you?  I’m in between Ottawa and Montreal. Eastern Ontario. There are basswoods all around us. Just a matter of getting the seeds in September.  

Little leaf linden (tilia cordata) is a pretty common street tree here in Portland. I find them when I'm out skateboarding. I just gathered some seeds and planted them.  Now I have two trees.  I have grown new ones from cuttings.  Just keep an eye on them because they will grow up to be big trees.  I chop up the leaves and put them in my beans, quinoa, millet, etc.  

John S
PDX OR

Hi there John,

Here in Canada specifically eastern Ontario, the European linden does not reach it’s full potential.  It grows for about 20 years and then dies. So I grow it mainly for its flowers and leaves for teas.  Try to keep planting them for the future. Our winters are becoming colder....global warming....I think not. So we are losing many trees to this up and down weather of ours. Woke up this morning to a windchill of -27c. Tonight it’s going up to +2!  Then straight back down to -30 or so, that is without the wind!  All within a 24hour period!  So this is not good for any living thing!  

Mary-Ellen Zands wrote:Hi there Kate,
We have seedlings of the European linden. Where in Ontario are you?  I’m in between Ottawa and Montreal. Eastern Ontario. There are basswoods all around us. Just a matter of getting the seeds in September.  

Hi Mary,

I'm now on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. I did look for the specific Basswoods you are speaking of, but didn't find any this year. I saw other linden trees, and watched them develop seeds, but couldn't find the beautiful large leaf one.

I know I did see one several years ago on my smaller property,  but couldn't find it this summer. I should have documented its location.

Hi there Kate,

Lucky you cape Breton!  Just ask a European in cape Breton. They will tell you where to find one!  If you are ever out this way again let me know and I can pot you one.

Mary-Ellen Zands wrote:Hi there Kate,

Lucky you cape Breton!  Just ask a European in cape Breton. They will tell you where to find one!  If you are ever out this way again let me know and I can pot you one.

Thanks!

Matt Mill wrote:I'm putting in a Tilia cordata (little-leaf linden, European lime) this spring for edible leaves. We won't coppice it because I want a shade tree, but I'm sure it can work well. I think the American species is good for eating too, but I have heard the European variety is best.

I have 3 or 4 of these in my small orchard. Reason? I was on a fishing trip with a brother and right outside the door maybe 30 ft. away was a "Little Linden" tree in full bloom with little megaphone shaped bright yellow blossoms - blooming both with blossoms and BEES! I swear there was hardly a blossom that didn't have a bee on it - literally many, many thousands, as the tree was about 30 ft. high and approx. 30 ft. in diameter. The blossoms on that tree also smelled like honey!

I walked through the low hanging branches to the trunk and then back out. I didn't even have a bee land on me let alone sting me.

I bought and planted my few trees to eventually keep bees in my two hives happy - and have some great tasting honey to boot!

I found several linden of some sort in the yard of a community center near me in south Missouri. I ate leaves in the summer and collected fruit in about November when they were ripe. The fruit tasted like apple sauce about raisin sized and fermented on the tree easily. Those that fermented were the best to eat.
    I’ve collected some of the tiny black seeds. Would like to sprout them. When is the best time to put them in the ground?

Steven Johnson wrote:I found several linden of some sort in the yard of a community center near me in south Missouri. I ate leaves in the summer and collected fruit in about November when they were ripe. The fruit tasted like apple sauce about raisin sized and fermented on the tree easily. Those that fermented were the best to eat.
    I’ve collected some of the tiny black seeds. Would like to sprout them. When is the best time to put them in the ground?

There is a quicker way to get a tree going from these than seed - IF you can get to them again occasionally.
Cut about a 3/4" to 1.0" strip off of a good sized limb, maybe an inch in diameter. wrap spagham moss around the cut and then wrap with plastic of very flexible thin rubber. Water the moss before wrapping. You have to make sure the moss doesn't dry out too much. Roots should start forming where you have it patched over. I've never tried this myself. But, they also make plastic wraparounds for doing this same thing. You might be able to find those in your local Garden Supply center.

Sean Banks wrote:I am always on the lookout for perennial vegetables and have known about the edibility of Basswood leaves for a long time. It was not until this past September that I became a property owner and have the ability now to apply what I have learned to the land. My idea was to plant one in the yard somwhere and keep it small by giving it a heavy pruning when it becomes too unruly; anybody doing this? I have tasted both young and mature leaves and find them very palatable.

There was a massive basswood in our front yard before we bought the house. It was growing under a 3 phase overhead power line and so eventually got some heavy trimming by the power companies subcontractors. I think the owner decided to cut it down eventually, but the stump still sprouts out loads of shoots and leaves every spring. I eat those leaves and they’re quite nice!

There are some dwarf linden trees that top out at 16 feet or so, which would be handy, but a pollarded lime tree could be even better, as you could prune it to whatever height you choose.

Whiffletree nusery in Canads sells little leaved linden trees

I ran across this interesting link about Basswood trees in an eMail from "Ask A Prepper" so thought I'd post that here also.

The Ultimate Survival Tree That Grows on Almost Every Street in America
https://www.askaprepper.com/ultimate-survival-tree-grows-almost-every-street-america/

ENJOY

While on the Ask A Prepper site you might want to set that as a LINK to return to do some other browsing.