Florida 4-H Forest Ecology

Identifying Characteristics

Size/Form:	Basswood is a medium to large tree that measures 60' to 125' tall. It has a spreading crown and long, clear, somewhat buttressed bole, as well as a spreading root system. The old stumps will prolifically regenerate sprouts. If allowed to, they result in clumps of several trees.
Leaves:	The leaves are simple, alternate, and deciduous. Leaves are variable in size and shape, but mostly oval-shaped or heart-shaped with an acute apex and unequal base 3 to 5 ½ inches long, and 2 to 3 inches wide. The leaf margin is finely serrated. The upper surface is smooth and dark green, while the lower surface is paler, often with whitish, grayish, tan or brown pubescence that can be partial or total. Petioles are ¼ to ½ the length of the leaf blades.
Twigs:	The twigs are slender, sometimes zig-zagging, pubescent at first, becoming glabrous. The pith is white and homogenous.
Bark:	The grayish-brown bark has shallow vertical furrows between thick ridges that deepen with age.
Flowers:	The cream-colored flowers dangle in clusters on drooping, pubescent stalks from the middle of a leafy bract. They bloom in May and June.
Fruit:	The round, hard, and dry nut-like fruit is about ¼ to ½ inches in diameter, usually bearing two seeds. The fruits resemble small peas in loose clusters attached by a stalk hanging from a leafy bract
Similar Trees on the Florida 4-H Forest Ecology Contest List: Red Mulberry has alternate, simple leaves that are very similar to basswood in shape, size, and margin. In the absence of flowers or fruit, telling those trees apart requires close attention to the color, texture, and pubescence of the leaves. The leaves of Eastern Cottonwood have a similar shape (and the tree has a similar name), but the margin is wavy. The leaves of Chinese tallow can have a similar shape, but they're much smaller and the margin is smooth.