Best known for its 'north woods' fragrance, young Balsam Fir are popular for Christmas trees and wreaths because of this beautiful scent, and because they tend to hold on to their needles longer than Spruce or Pine.

In maturity, and from a distance, Balsam Fir are often mistaken for Spruce. It's the symmetrical, spire-like crown, sometimes called the 'church steeple,' that distinguishes it from the Spruce. Close inspection reveals a 3 cm stemless flat round-tipped needle with two white stripes on the underside, where the Spruce needle is four sided, rolls easily between two fingers, and is sharp pointed.

Another obvious characteristic of the 'Canada Balsam' is it's 3 - 8 cm purplish green (drying to brown) female cone. Alone amongst conifer cones it grows upward. When ripe this cone falls apart, to the gourmet delight of red squirrels), grouse, and crossbills, leaving the erect central slender spike on the tree.

One needs to get right up to the tree trunk to find the most outstanding feature of the Balsam Fir, the bubbles or blisters of resin. A sharp fingernail, knife, or pointed stick is usually all it takes to pierce the thin layer of covering bark. Fragrant sap then oozes forth. This gummy resin is the principal contribution of the Balsam Fir for aiding the ails of humankind.

Gathered most freely around the time of the full moon from the 'blisters,' or by drilling a small hole and letting the sap granulate and dry, the resin is most commonly used imbibed in a tea for coughs, colds, and pulmonary chest problems. Externally it can be applied to the skin for cuts, wounds, burns and sores. When heated its fumes can be inhaled to calm nervous convulsions.

Internally the resin has also been taken fresh 'on the spot' or mixed with hot water as a stimulant, a diuretic, a laxative for constipation, for fevers and for consumption (TB). Dried into a gum it is chewed for pleasure, used as a cough drop, and even used as a temporary tooth filling and root canal sealer. Peterson s guide to Edible Wild Plants reminds us that though the taste may be unappealing, (it tastes somewhat like turpentine) in emergency there is great food value in these blisters.

Externally the antiseptic resin is soothing and healing to cuts, burns, sore nipples, ulcers and abscesses. Its use on open cuts is not advocated, but as a later dressing to promote further healing. Often it has been applied as a poultice or a plaster.

The inner bark is nourishing and can be used dried and ground into meal to extend a flour supply in times of need, or grated fresh and eaten for its nutrients, or chewed fresh off the tree as a hiking food. I said nourishing. Notice I didn't say it's the most appetizing. Amazing how hunger can influence our taste buds. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is certainly one of the nutrients.

As a tea infusion, the inner bark can be drunk for chest pains and applied in a poultice to cure consumption. The steam has been inhaled as a nasal stimulant.

A tea of the young twigs vas commonly drunk to stimulate sweating before entering the sweat lodge or saunas; while inside the trigs were often placed on the red hot rocks as a healing incense. In the home the twig were placed on live coals to produce a smoke that vas inhaled to ease a cold.

Soaked in hot water and mashed, the twigs were applied as a poultice to draw out painful inflammations. The needles are still today enclosed in pillows as a cold preventative. Vitamin C, zinc and molybdenum are nutrients of note that are found in Balsam Fir needles and can be released by infusing the needles in a tea.

The root has been sucked to cure mouth sores. Hot root decoctions were sprinkled on heated stones to 'steam' rheumatic joints especially the knees - by enclosing the knees and steaming vessel closely with a blanket.

Wildlife also appreciate Balsam Fir. The moose family eats the foliage, twigs and small branches often all the way back to the trunk and as high as they can reach. Whitetail deer and snowshoe hare also like the foliage and young twigs. Porcupine dine on the bark. Spruce budworms just eat the needles.

Often considered a weed tree in a forest, Balsam Firs are medium sized trees that prefer low-lying, moderately moist sites, like those near lakes and streams. They often grow in pure stands. Still this Fir is very adaptable to a variety of soils and climates, even up to the northern timber line where it may grow as a low matlike shrub. Its roots are shallow and strong; windstorms will often bring down quite a few Balsam Fir.

The wood is clear while with no contrast between heartwood and sapwood. Mostly used for pulp and paper., Fir is also marketed as lower grade 'Spruce' lumber, and for interior knotty pine.

The resin yields an aromatic oleoresin called 'CanadaBalsam.' This resin is used for mounting microscopic specimens and for an optical glass cement. People camping and living close to the outdoors use the resin as a canoe and boat caulk and waterproof cement. The branchlets are used as a tent bedding.