An evergreen conifer with a mature height of 40'-90' and a diameter of 12"-30". Bark thin, gray, smooth with resin blisters; brown and scaly on older trees. Leaves short, flat, resinous needles. Root system shallow, mostly confined to duff and upper mineral soil layers, rarely penetrating more than 30" except in sandy soils. Male strobili about 3mm long at maturity, yellowish-red and tinged with purple, developing in the axils of needles along undersides of year-old twigs, usually in dense clusters. Female strobili about 1" long at maturity and purplish, found singly or in small groups, confined to the top 5' of the crown. Seed 2mm-3mm, brown, with brown-purple wing about twice as long as body.

Anodyne, antiseptic, diaphoretic, diuretic, masticatory and vulnerary (plant); antirheumatic (root decoction)

Balsam Fir
Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.
Plants for a Future

Alpha-phellandrene, alpha-pinene, bornyl-acetate, camphene, limonene (plant); beta-phellandrene (gum); betulin (bark, leaf, twig)

As a cold remedy (resin); in folk remedies for cancers, corns, and warts (buds, resin and sap)