Basswood= a soft hardwood

Trees grow rapidly, occasionally reaching diameters of 4 feet and heights of 130 feet. Trademarks include large heart-shaped leaves, blossoms containing a very sweet smelling nectar from which bees make choice honey, and hardshelled seeds which appear in clusters of about five or six. suspended on a thin-branched stem.

stained and polished without difliculty.

The timber is not durable. Logs are liable to attack by the longhorn beetle and the sapwood by the common furniture beetle. The wood is permeable for preservation treatment.

the supply. It grows along the east coast of Canada and in every state east of the Rocky Mountains, with more than half the total yield coming from the Great Lakes states. It thrives in rich, well drained soil such as is found along the banks of rivers and streams.

It is also known as American whitewood, lime tree. American linden, whitewood and, in the United Kingdom, American lime.

Wood is creamy white to pale pinkish-brown, straight grained and often streaked with short "pencil lines" of dark brown. lts fine, even texture results from the tree's uniform growth and lack of contrast between early and latewood zones. Basswood weighs only 26 lbs. per cubic foot at 120/o moisture content, similar to southern willow.

The wood is weak, with very low strength properties and a poor steam bending classification. lt does dry rather quickly with little distortion or degrade and minimal movement in service.

Basswood works very easily with both hand and power tools. It nails, screws and glues nicely and can be

Its long list of uses is mostly comprised of those which demand a light, soft wood. Included are drawing boards, picture frames, moulding, honeycomb frames, beehives, venetian blinds, trunks and luggage, constructional veneer and plywood, core stock in veneer panels, hand carving, turnery, piano keys, louvers, mallet heads, match splints, wood wool, cooperage, high class joinery, toys, chip baskets, small laminated articles, boxes, crates, and laundry and dairy appliances. Since it is odorless, it's also used for food containers and pulpwood in certain specialized branches of the paper industry.

Basswood lumber is available in all regular lengths, thicknesses and grades.