Balsam Fir Abies balsamea (L.)Mill.


  • Common Names
  • Balsam Fir , Christmas tree, North American fir
  • Botanical Name
  • Abies balsamea (L.)Mill.
  • Family
  • PINACEAE
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Medicinal Uses & Benefits of Balsam Fir

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How to Use: Balsam Fir


As a popular Christmas tree the balsam fir is noted for its aromatic needles and pleasing shape. It is even more notable for its benefits and uses in home herbal medicine. The bark, twigs, resin, and essential oil from the tree are all used in herbal practice. Alma Hutchens gives quite long list of uses including rheumatism, kidney and bladder inflammations, and bronchitis that can be addressed by extracting Balsam Fir with honey and glycerin. The bark and twigs can be added to herbal teas as well as steam baths to ease sore muscles. 1

Preparation Methods & Dosage :The essential oil is distilled from the needles and used in aromatherapy. The leaves, twigs and bark can be used in herbal teas, and added to cough syrups.


Balsam Fir : Essential Oil Profile

Fir needles are known for their disinfecting properties. Balsam fir oil has a frest green scent of a pine forest in the winter. The essential oil can be used to treat burns, colds, cough, cuts, muscle aches and pains, sore throat, and wounds. Fir needle oil can be added to many homemade cleaners and disinfectants.



Balsam Fir Side Effects: Fir essential oil is irritating to the skin when applied undiluted.

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Plant Description


  • Plant Class: Evergreen Tree
  • Etymology: The common name fir is usually only applied to members of the pine family the have pyramidal or conical shapes.
  • Flowers/Fruit/Seeds: Erect cones mature in one season by drop their scales when ripe,with the stems remaining on the tree, releasing winged seeds in the fall. Both male and female flowers are on the same tree
  • Parts used: Bark, twigs, leaves, resin
  • Leaves:
    • Flat, needle-like leaves are attatched singulary in sprial, twisted bases appear in 2 horizontal rows.
  • Habit: Balsam fir is a small to medium-size evergreen tree reaching to 60 feet tall, with a narrow conic crown
  • Distribution: Native to North America the tree thrives in the cold climates of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States (Minnesota east to Maine, ranging south in the Appalachian Mountains to West Virginia).

Regional Traditions :North America *


History and Traditions & Folklore


References:
books citedWorks Cited
  1. Alma R. Hutchens. "Handbook of Native American Herbs" Shambahala Boston & London, (1992) pp 12-13