Tilia spp.
Family: Tiliaceae
European Lime

Basswood (Tilia sp.), also known as Lime in England and Europe, consists of 30 to 35 species native to Eurasia(30) and North America(4). All species look alike microscopically. A favorite wood for carvings, such as those by Grinling Gibbons (England, 1670-1710).

Tilia cordata-Bass, Basswood, Bast-tree, Common Lime, English Lime, European Small-leaf Lime, European Small-leaf Limetree, European Small-leaf Linden, Europees Linden, Europeisk Lind, Kislevelu Hars, Kleinbladige Linde, Kleinblattrige Linde, Large-leaf Lime, Lime, Limetree, Lind, Linde, Linden, Lipa, Lipa Malolista, Lipa Malolistna, Littleleaf Linden, Melkoistnaya, Melkolistnaya Lipa, Niinipuu, Parklind, Shinanoki, Sinanoki, Skogs-lind, Small-leaf Lime, Small-Leaved Lime, Sommerlinde, Steinlinde, Teiu cu Frunza Mica, Tiel-tree, Tiglio, Tiglio a Foglie, Tiglio Selvatico, Tilleau Sauvage, Tilleul, Tilleul a Grandes Feuilles, Tilleul a Petites Feuilles, Tilleul des Bois, Tilleul Feuilles, Tilleul Sauvage, Tilo, Tilo Silvestre, Winter-linde

Tilia grandifolia-Grossblattrige Linde, Sommer-linde, Tiglio a Folie Grandi, Tilleul a Grandes Feuilles, Tilleul de Hollande, Tilo

Tilia platyphylla-Broad-Leaved Lime, Storbladig Lind

Tilia vulgaris-Common Lime, English Lime, Europaische Linde, European Basswood, Europese Linde, Gemeine Linde, Hollandse Linde, Hollandsk Lind, Japanese Basswood, Limewood, Linden, Oba-shina, Parklind, Shina, Shinanoki, Tiglio Comune, Tiglio Olandese, Tilleul, Tilleul d’Europe, Tilleul Intermediaire, Tilo, Tilo Holandes, Tilo Intermediario, Vanlig Lind

Distribution

Europe and England.

The following is for Tilia vulgaris:

The Tree

European Lime reaches heights of 100 feet, with a diameter of 4 feet and with a clear bole for 50 feet.

The Wood

General

The sapwood of European Lime is indistinguishable from the white to pale yellow heartwood, which turns pale brown on exposure. It has a straight grain with a fine, even texture.

Mechanical Properties (2-inch standard)

				Compression
	Specific gravity	MOE x10^6 lbf/in^2	MOR lbf/in^2	Parallel lbf/in^2	Perpendicular lbf/in^2	WML^a in-lbf/in^3	Hardness lbf	Shear lbf/in^2
Green	—	1.33	7,900	3,780	—	—	—	—
Dry	—	1.62	11,200	6,910	—	—	—	—
^aWML = Work to maximum load. Reference (98).

Drying and Shrinkage

Type of shrinkage	Percentage of shrinkage (green to final moisture content)
	0% MC	6% MC	20% MC
Tangential	—	7.5	—
Radial	—	5.0	—
Volumetric	—	12.6	—
References: 0% MC (98), 6% and 20% MC (90).

Kiln Drying Schedules (3)

British Schedule H.

Working Properties: Blunting:???Slight

???Sawing:

????Rip-sawing:??Saw type HR54

????Cross-cutting:??Satisfactory

????Narrow-band:??Satisfactory

????Wide-band:??Saw type A

???Machining:???Good

???Nailing:???Satisfactory

???Gluing:????Good

???Bending:???Moderate

???Staining/Polishing:??Satisfactory

Durability: Sapwood susceptible to common furniture beetle, heartwood rated as perishable.

Preservation: Rated as permeable.

Uses: Paint brushes, turnery, hat blocks.

Toxicity: May produce dermatitis (7)

Additional Reading and References Cited (in parentheses)

1. Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois & E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry kiln schedules for ?commercial woods - temperate and tropical. USDA Forest Service, FPL ?General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57.

2. Elias, T.S. 1980. The complete trees of North America, field guide and natural history. ?Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 948 pp.

3. Farmer, R.H. 1972. Handbook of hardwoods. HMSO, London. 243 pp.

4. Hausen, B. M. 1981. Wood Injurious to Human Health: A Manual. Walter deGruyter ?& Co., Berlin, Germany; New York, NY.

5. Little, Jr., E.L. 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). USDA ?Forest Service, Ag. Handbook No. 541, USGPO, Washington, DC.

6. Markwardt, L.J. and T.R.C. Wilson. 1935. Strength and related properties of woods ?grown in the United States. USDA Forest Service, Tech. Bull. No. 479. USGPO, ?Washington, DC.

7. Mitchell, J. and A. Rook 1979. Botanical Dermatology: Plants and Plant Products ?Injurious to the Skin. Greenglass Ltd., 691 W. 28th Ave., Vancouver, British ?Columbia, Canada V5H 2H4.

8. Panshin, A.J. and C. de Zeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Ed., ?McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 722 pp.

9. Record, S.J. and R.W. Hess. 1943. Timbers of the new world. Yale University Press, ?New Haven, 640 pp.

10. Simpson, W.T. 1991. Dry kiln operator's manual. USDA Forest Service, FPL Ag. ?Handbook 188.

11. Summitt, R. and A. Sliker. 1980. CRC handbook of materials science. Volume 4, ?wood. CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL. 459 pp.

12. USDA Forest Service, FPL. 1974. Wood handbook: wood as an engineering material. ?Ag. Handbook 72.

13. Woods, B.; Calnan, C. D. 1976. Toxic Woods. British Journal of Dermatology; ?95(13):1-97 Published by Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, England OX2 ?OEL.