Any of about 30 species of trees that make up the genus Tilia (family Tiliaceae), 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.