American Basswood Pollen Color

Tilia americana

American Basswood pollen is shown in the orange and amber color family as general visual guidance. Use this page as a reference for pollen appearance, bloom timing, plant type, bee forage value, and available hardiness context.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Visual guideAmerican Basswood pollen

Photo: Plant Image Library · CC BY-SA 2.0

Plant Facts

SeasonSummer
USDA Zone3 - 8
Plant TypeTree
ForagePollen and nectar
Pollen ValueMedium
Nectar ValueHigh
Honey TypeBasswood honey
Color FamilyOrange and amber
Scientific NameTilia americana
Common NamesAmerican basswood, Basswood, Basewood, American linden, Linden, Bee tree
Native RegionsEastern and central Canada, Eastern and central United States
Range StatusNative to eastern and central North America.
Color ConfidenceModerate
Color MethodA North Carolina beekeeper bloom chart assigns Tilia pollen the approximate field-guide swatch #FFCE19; it is not a laboratory color standard.
Reviewed2026-10-11

Quick Answer

American Basswood pollen is shown in this guide as an orange and amber tone. It is listed as tree, associated with summer bloom timing, USDA zone 3 - 8, and pollen and nectar forage value.

Pollen Color Notes

The visual color shown for American Basswood is grouped broadly with orange and amber pollen tones. It is intended for comparison and identification support, not as a laboratory measurement.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Bloom, Zone, and Forage Context

American Basswood is listed for summer. The record lists USDA zone 3 - 8; hardiness zones are planning context, not a precise flowering calendar. Approximate bloom months in the supplemental notes: June, July.

Its forage type is pollen and nectar, with pollen value marked as medium and nectar value marked as high. Basswood can produce a short but strong nectar flow and is widely valued by beekeepers; yield varies considerably by weather and year.

Honey-type note: Basswood honey. Use the values here as a field-guide reference rather than a local bloom guarantee.

Identification Notes

American basswood is a large deciduous tree with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant pale flowers hanging beneath narrow leaflike bracts.

Flower color note: Cream to yellow-white. Flower color and pollen color may differ.

Related by Similar Color

Hogweed - Orange and amber Northern Spicebush - Orange and amber Ragwort - Orange and amber Virginia Spiderwort - Orange and amber Tomato - Orange and amber Box - Orange and amber

Related by Season

Adam's Needle - Summer Basil - Summer Bee Balm - Summer Bindweed - Summer Bird's-Foot Trefoil - Summer Blackberry - Summer

Related by Plant Type

Alder - Tree Almond - Tree American Persimmon - Tree Apple - Tree Ash - Tree Birch - Tree

Related by USDA Zone

Adam's Needle - Zone 4 - 10 Alder - Zone 2 - 7 Allium - Zone 3 - 9 Almond - Zone 4 - 8 Alsike Clover - Zone 3 - 8 American Bittersweet - Zone 3 - 8

Related by Bee Forage

Adam's Needle - Pollen and nectar Alfalfa - Pollen and nectar Allium - Pollen and nectar Almond - Pollen and nectar Alsike Clover - Pollen and nectar American Bittersweet - Pollen and nectar

Sources

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
United States Department of Agriculture / reviewed 2026-07-12
USDA hardiness zone context USDA PLANTS Database
United States Department of Agriculture / reviewed 2026-07-12
scientific name, common name, distribution context, plant classification Flowering Plants
North Carolina State Beekeepers Association / reviewed 2026-10-11
North Carolina bloom periods, approximate pollen color, scientific name Selecting Plants for Pollinators regional guides
Pollinator Partnership / reviewed 2026-10-11
North American regional plant selection, native range context, bloom timing, pollinator value Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Foundation contributors / reviewed 2026-07-12
plant image, image credit link
American basswood flowers hanging beneath a pale leaflike bract

Photo: Plant Image Library · CC BY-SA 2.0