In the northwest corner of a local sports field is a hardwood tree, perhaps 70 ft tall. Its trunk is oval; its max diameter might be 18 inches. The bark is gray.<\/p>\n
The leaves are heart-shaped, around 5 inches long and wide. Round nutlike green fruits hang underneath, each bunch accompanied by a single oval leaf, completely unlike the tree’s typical leaves.<\/p>\n
The tree, from my sources, is either an American basswood or a European linden. Based on leaf size, I suspect it’s the American basswood, which is also of the linden family.<\/p>\n
Neither of those trees is native here.<\/p>\n
When I was a kid, we had a new linden tree planted in our front yard on the base. I’ve always wondered when I’d encounter another:)<\/p>\n
Source:<\/p>\n
forestry.ohiodnr.gov<\/a><\/p>\n Brockman, Frank C. et al. Trees of North America<\/em>. New York: Golden Press, 1968.<\/p>\n Little, Elbert L. and Susan Rayfield and Olivia Buehl. The Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Trees<\/em>. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1986.<\/p>\nJack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane,<\/a> Campbell River, BC.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Self-tutoring about trees: the tutor mentions a linden he’s noticed. In the northwest corner of a local sports field is a hardwood tree, perhaps 70 ft tall. Its trunk is oval; its max diameter might be 18 inches. The bark …<\/p>\n