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LS Lake Surfer Tiki Socialite Milwaukee, WI Joined: Oct 21, 2002 Posts: 3417	LS Lake Surfer Posted posted on Tue, Feb 22, 2005 10:09 PM Thanks guys :) Linden is fun stuff when you get a good piece... AMERICAN LINDEN TREE Tilia Americana Linnaeus Common Names: American Basswood, Bee Tree, Whitewood, Limetree. In late June and early July, can you smell a sweet, haunting fragrance wafting around the city? It comes from the American Linden or Basswood tree, a large tree, growing up to 130 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 2 to 3 feet, and a rounded crown. The bark is furrowed with large "S" shaped ridges going up the trunk. The Linden is often planted as a shade or street tree because of its fairly rapid rate of growth, plentiful shade and fragrant flowers. In cities its fruit are eaten by squirrels, while in the country its fruit are eaten by chipmunks and other small rodents. White-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits eat the bark and sprouts during the winter. Old basswoods are very frequently hollow, making excellent nesting and den sites for many kinds of birds and mammals. LEAVES: The leaves are heart-shaped, 4-6 inches long, 3-4 inches wide, dark green with extremely shiny undersides. When the wind blows, the leaf blades are flung over to reveal a glistening bright underside. WOOD: Linden wood is soft and creamy, and it is much favored by woodcarvers because of its workability (it is said to "cut like cheese") and its even grain. In past centuries it was used to make ship's figureheads and cigar-store Indians. Today it is used for broom handles, beehive frames, piano sounding boards and certain parts of guitars. BARK: The Linden's inner bark is fibrous and can be twisted and woven into cords, ropes and matting. Native Americans of the Northeastern tribes used it to make bags to carry food in and thongs. Rope was made from it by "retting" - keeping the bark under water for about a month, until the soft tissues rotted away leaving the fibrous tissue. Thread made of Basswood bark was used to stitch together mats made of cattail leaves and the bark was used to bind up warriors wounds. The Iroquois carved masks from the sapwood on the living tree and then split it off from the trunk and hollowed it out from behind. HABITAT: The Linden prefers moist soils of valleys and uplands; in hardwood forests. MYTHOLOGY: The Green Dryads or tree spirits were said to be wedded to Linden trees. In Roman mythology the Linden tree was a symbol of conjugal love and fidelity. [ Edited by: Lake Surfer on 2005-02-23 09:29 ]

Thanks guys :)

Linden is fun stuff when you get a good piece...

AMERICAN LINDEN TREE
Tilia Americana Linnaeus
Common Names: American Basswood, Bee Tree, Whitewood, Limetree.

In late June and early July, can you smell a sweet, haunting fragrance wafting around the city? It comes from the American Linden or Basswood tree, a large tree, growing up to 130 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 2 to 3 feet, and a rounded crown. The bark is furrowed with large "S" shaped ridges going up the trunk.

The Linden is often planted as a shade or street tree because of its fairly rapid rate of growth, plentiful shade and fragrant flowers. In cities its fruit are eaten by squirrels, while in the country its fruit are eaten by chipmunks and other small rodents. White-tailed deer and cottontail rabbits eat the bark and sprouts during the winter. Old basswoods are very frequently hollow, making excellent nesting and den sites for many kinds of birds and mammals.

LEAVES: The leaves are heart-shaped, 4-6 inches long, 3-4 inches wide, dark green with extremely shiny undersides. When the wind blows, the leaf blades are flung over to reveal a glistening bright underside.

**WOOD: Linden wood is soft and creamy, and it is much favored by woodcarvers because of its workability (it is said to "cut like cheese") and its even grain. In past centuries it was used to make ship's figureheads and cigar-store Indians. Today it is used for broom handles, beehive frames, piano sounding boards and certain parts of guitars. **

BARK: The Linden's inner bark is fibrous and can be twisted and woven into cords, ropes and matting. Native Americans of the Northeastern tribes used it to make bags to carry food in and thongs. Rope was made from it by "retting" - keeping the bark under water for about a month, until the soft tissues rotted away leaving the fibrous tissue. Thread made of Basswood bark was used to stitch together mats made of cattail leaves and the bark was used to bind up warriors wounds. The Iroquois carved masks from the sapwood on the living tree and then split it off from the trunk and hollowed it out from behind.

HABITAT: The Linden prefers moist soils of valleys and uplands; in hardwood forests.

MYTHOLOGY: The Green Dryads or tree spirits were said to be wedded to Linden trees. In Roman mythology the Linden tree was a symbol of conjugal love and fidelity.

[ Edited by: Lake Surfer on 2005-02-23 09:29 ]

Post #142656 by Lake Surfer on Tue, Feb 22, 2005 10:09 PM