Basswood is a type of tree that is native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to Cherry. It is a large deciduous tree that can easily reach an impressive size of between 20 to 40 meters (65 to 130 ft) in height and develop oblique-cordate leaves that can grow in sizes between 6 to 20 centimeters across. The American basswood is recommended as an ornamental tree when the mass of foliage or a deep shade is desired; no native tree surpasses it in this respect. The foliage and flowers of basswood are both edible, and bees produce excellent honey with a mildly spicy flavor from its blossoms. Basswood is a tonewood commonly used in the manufacture of solid-body electric guitars because it is relatively lightweight and easy to work and sand. It is also used extensively to produce window shutters and blinds, plywood, veneer, wood pulp, and fiber products for commercial uses. Basswood is an ideal wood for many woodcarvers because of its soft, fine, even texture that makes it easy to work with, while its pale, inconspicuous color doesn’t detract from the carved patterns of the finished product.