This species is closely related to Abies fraseri[].

Common Name: Balsam Fir

General Information

Abies balsamea is an evergreen tree with a long, narrow crown; it can grow up to 20 metres tall with a straight, cylindrical bole.
The tree is a major source of an oleoresin that has a wide range of medicinal and other applications. The tree also has a range of traditional uses as a food and source of materials, as well as being a commercial source of timber. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, and is also used as a 'Christmas tree'[].
This is the most wide-spread species of Abies in North America. It is a component of the great boreal forest of Canada, a dynamic ecosystem that is destroyed locally by natural causes but regenerates continuously. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

The oleoresin (Canada balsam) is reported to produce dermatitis when applied as perfume[, ]. The foliage has also induced contact dermatitis[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

North-eastern N. America - Newfoundland to Virginia, west to Alberta, Michigan and Ohio.

Habitat

Low swampy grounds where it is often the major component of forests[]. Also found on well-drained hillsides[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	15.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A plant of the oceanic, continental and boreal temperate zone, where it is found at elevations up to 1,900 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 10 - 18°c, but can tolerate 4 - 26°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -25°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 750 - 1,100mm, but tolerates 400 - 1,500mm[].
Prefers a good moist but not water-logged soil[]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Very shade tolerant, especially when young[, ], but growth is slower in dense shade[]. Intolerant of atmospheric pollution[]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5[]. Prefers slightly acid conditions down to a pH of about5[], though the cultivar 'Hudsonia' is more tolerant of alkaline conditions[]. Prefers growing on a north-facing slope[]. A shallow-rooted plant, making it vulnerable to high winds[].
The balsam fir is a fast-growing tree in its native environment[], but it is fairly short-lived and slow growing in Britain, becoming ungainly after about 20 years[, , ]. It grows best in the Perthshire valleys of Scotland[, ]. New growth takes place from late pring to mid summer[].
Trees are very cold hardy but are often excited into premature growth in mild winters and this new growth is susceptible to damage by late frosts[]. Female strobili may be wholly or partially aborted up to 6 to 8 weeks after bud burst by late spring frosts[]. Pollen dispersal can be reduced by adverse weather[].
Trees should be planted into their permanent positions when they are quite small, between 30 and 90cm in height. Larger trees will check badly and hardly put on any growth for several years. This also badly affects root development and wind resistance[].
Trees have a thin bark and are therefore susceptible to forest fires[].
Plants are strongly outbreeding, self-fertilized seed usually grows poorly[]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[]. The cones break up on the tree and if seed is required it should be harvested before the cones break up in early autumn[].
Whilst the typical species is too large for most gardens, there are some named slow-growing dwarf forms that can be grown[]. Whilst these will not provide the resin, their leaves can be used medicinally[].
The leaves are strongly aromatic of balsam when crushed[].

Edible Uses

Inner bark - cooked. It is usually dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread[, ]. Fir bark is a delight to chew in winter or early spring, slightly mucilaginous and sweetish, better raw than cooked[]. Another report says that it is an emergency food and is only used when all else fails[].

An aromatic resinous pitch is found in blisters in the bark[]. When eaten raw it is delicious and chewy[, ]. Another report says that the balsam or pitch, in extreme emergency, forms a highly concentrated, though disagreeable, food[]. An oleoresin from the pitch is used as a flavouring in sweets, baked goods, ice cream and drinks[].

Tips of young shoots are used as a tea substitute[, ].

Medicinal

This plant was widely used medicinally by various North American Indian tribes[]. The resin was used as an antiseptic healing agent applied externally to wounds, sores, bites etc., it was used as an inhalant to treat headaches and was also taken internally to treat colds, sore throats and various other complaints[].

The resin obtained from blisters in the bark has been used throughout the world and is a very effective antiseptic and healing agent. It is used as a healing and analgesic protective covering for burns, bruises, wounds and sores[, , ]. It is also used to treat sore nipples[] and is said to be one of the best curatives for a sore throat[]. The buds, resin, and/or sap are used in folk remedies for treating cancers, corns, and warts[].
The resin is also antiscorbutic, diaphoretic, diuretic, stimulant and tonic[, , ]. It is used internally in propriety mixtures to treat coughs and diarrhoea, though taken in excess it is purgative[].

A warm liquid of the gummy sap was drunk as a treatment for gonorrhoea[].

A tea made from the leaves is antiscorbutic[, ]. It is used in the treatment of coughs, colds and fevers[]. The leaves and young shoots are best harvested in the spring and dried for later use[].

Other Uses

The balsamic resin 'Balm of Gilead'[, ] or 'Canada Balsam' according to other reports[, , ] is obtained during summer from blisters in the bark or by cutting pockets in the wood[]. Another report says that it is a turpentine[]. The term Canada Balsam is a misnomer because balsams are supposed to contain benzoic and cinnamic acids, both absent from the Canada oleoresin[]. Turpentine is also a misnomer, implying that the oleoresin is entirely steam volatile. Actually it contains 70 - 80% resin, only 16 - 20% volatile oil[]. Canada Balsam yields 15 - 25% volatile oil, the resin being used for caulking and incense[]. It is used medicinally and in dentistry, also in the manufacture of glues, candles and as a cement for microscopes and slides - it has a high refractive index resembling that of glass[, , , , , , ]. The pitch has also been used as a waterproofing material for the seams of canoes[]. The average yield is about 8 - 10 oz per tree[]. The resin is also a fixative in soaps and perfumery[, ]. 'Turpentine' is usually collected during July-August by breaking the turpentine blisters into small metal cans with sharp-pointed lids. Trees are then allowed to recuperate for 1 - 2 years before being harvested again[].

The leaves and young branches are used as a stuffing material for pillows etc - they impart a pleasant scent[, , ] and also repel moths[].

Various parts of the plant yield essential oils and other compounds that are used as ingredients in commercial cosmetic preparations as antimicrobials, antioxidants, hair conditioners, perfuming agents and skin conditioners[].
The leaves contain an average of 0.65% essential oil, though it can go up to 1.4% or even higher[]. One analysis of the essential oils reports 14.6% bornyl acetate, 36.1% b-pinene, 11.1% 3-carene, 11.1% limonene, 6.8% camphene, and 8.4% a-pinene[]. To harvest the oil, it would appear that the branches should be snipped off younger trees in early spring[]. Fifteen year old trees yield 70% more leaf oil than 110-year-old trees; oil yields are highest in late winter and late summer, they are lowest from spring to mid summer[].

A thread can be made from the roots[].

Wood - light, soft, coarse grained, not strong, not very durable. Weighs 24lb per cubic foot[]. Used mainly for pulp, it is not used much for lumber except in the manufacture of crates etc[, , , ]. The wood is commercially valuable for timber even though it is relatively soft, weak, and perishable[]. Balsam fir is used in the US for timber and plywood, and is the mainstay of the pulp wood industry in the Northeast.
The wood, which is rich in pitch, burns well and can be used as a kindling[]

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse or outdoors in early spring[]. Germination is often poor, usually taking about 6 - 8 weeks[]. Stratification is said to produce a more even germination so it is probably best to sow the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn[, ]. The seed remains viable for up to 5 years if it is well stored[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for at least their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Alternatively, if you have sufficient seed, it is possible to sow in an outdoor seedbed. One report says that it is best to grow the seedlings on in the shade at a density of about 550 plants per square metre[] whilst another report says that they are best grown on in a sunny position[].