linden

Any of about 30 species of trees that make up the genus Tilia of the mallow family (Malvaceae), native to the Northern Hemisphere. A few are outstanding deciduous ornamental and shade trees, with heart-shaped, coarsely toothed leaves, fragrant cream-coloured flowers, and small globular fruit. The American linden (T. americana), also called basswood or whitewood, grows as high as 130 ft (40 m). Its wood is used for beehives, crating, furniture, and packing material; like other linden species, it is also a popular bee tree, yielding a distinctive, pale, fragrant honey.