|COMMON NAME||BALSAM FIR|
|Latin Name||Abies balsamea|
|Country of Origin||Canada|
|Extraction||Steam distilled from needles/branches 48 hours old, picked October-December|
|Aroma||evergreen forest fresh|
|Caution||Do not use in pregnancy.|
|Primary Uses||Immune: tonic, stimulant, infections, arthritis, rheumatism, pain, joint pain, spasms Respiratory: colds, flu, lung, sinus, throat infections, cough, spasms, dries mucus, inflammation, bronchitis,|
|Properties||Anti-infective, antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, immune stimulant, stimulating, drying, diuretic,|
| The First Nations used Balsam Fir resin topically to seal wounds and burns, and chewed it to clean their teeth and sweeten their breath. Bathing in Balsam Fir deodorized the body for long periods of time and provided immune boosting and detoxifying effects.
Balsam Fir has a pyramid conical shape with fragrant persistent needles that make it a popular choice for a Christmas tree.
A coniferous tree that grows from 30-45 ft. in height and prefers moist soil and air, it can live up to 150 years and doesn’t produce seed until 20-30 years old.
The needles are dark shiny green on top with two white lines underneath that are flat. The 1-2 cm long needles are twisted into two rows on one plane.
The male cones are yellow 4mm long and the female cones are dark purple when young and are erect and barrel shaped.