| Description | The Balsam Fir (Abies balasamea) is a narrow, pyramidal tree with dark green, evergreen flat needles. It is commonly used as a Christmas tree. |
|---|---|
| Plant Type | Trees Coniferous, Site author's observations |
| Hardiness Zone | 2-6 |
| Sunlight | full, can tolerate some shade |
| Moisture | average, prefers moist |
| Soil & Site | average, humusy, woodsy, acidic |
| Temperature | prefers cool temperatures |
| Fruit | 1 3/4"-3 1/4" long cones |
| Leaves | needles, evergreen, flat, white underside, arrange in horizontal ranks, 3/8"-1/4" long, aromatic when crushed, pictinate or comb like arrangement |
| Stems | bark produces blisters of sap |
| Dimensions | 40-60 to 100 feet tall, steeple-shaped |
| Propagation | seeds |
| Native Site | Northern USA and Canada. |
| Misc Facts | Commonly used as Christmas trees. Abies is the Latin name for silver fir. AKA: Balm of Gilead; Balsam Fir; |
| Author's Notes | As a child growing up in the Superior, Wisconsin (USA) area, I frequently encountered this tree and would often get my hands sticky from the sap blisters on the bark. |
| Notes & Reference | #66-Trees of Eastern and North central USA and Canada (Harlow), #181-Native Trees for North America (Guy Sternberg), #152B-The Flora of Wisconsin (wisflora.herbarium.wisc.edu), #258- Gymnosperm Database (www.conifers.org) |
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