Basswood

Basswood is a dense tree with heart-shaped leaves and serrated edges. It is a lightweight hardwood that has a pale color with even textures throughout. In the summer months, it produces small bushels of light yellow flowers. These then turn into small, round, grey-brown berries. These trees are most commonly found in hardwood forests or as ornamentals, like here on campus. The leaves can be from 4-8 inches long.

Distribution: Eastern North America

Location on campus: These trees can be found right outside the west entrance of the main building by the campus circle.

Uses: Basswood is a prized wood for wood carving, Wood turning, and several other wood-working arts due to how easy it is to carve and resistance to cracking.