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Woody > Abies > Abies balsamea > Abies balsamea

Abies balsamea


Balsam Fir




Family
Pinaceae
Genus
Abies
Species
balsamea
Category
Woody
Type
Tree (evergreen)
Pronunciation
USDA Hardiness Zone
3-5
Canadian Hardiness Zone
3
RHS Hardiness Zone
H7
Temperature (°C)
-40 - (-23)
Temperature (°F)
-40 - (-10)
Height
15 - 21 m
Spread
3 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
General Description
The widest range of any Abies in North America. Makes its best growth in cold climates. Valued for its spicy fragrance, neat shape and and bluish-green colour.
Landscape
Mainly used as a specimen tree and even a Christmas tree. Does not hold needles very long in hot dry conditions.
Cultivation
Short lived in cultivation.
Shape
Narrow pyramidal shape with branches extending to the ground.
Growth
Medium
ID Characteristic
Leaves are horizontally arranged in 2 lateral sets with a V-shaped parting between. Upper surface is a shiny dark green with interrupted lines of stomata towards the tip. Typical balsam odour.
Pests
Favoured by spruce budworm, woolly adelgid and several canker diseases.
Habitat
Edges of forest and near damp locales such as lakes and swamps.
Bark/Stem Description
Smooth and pale grey with large resin blisters on young trees. On mature trees the bark becomes roughened and reddish-brown.
Flower/Leaf Bud Description
Small, brownish, resinous and seemingly varnished.
Leaf Description
The needles, arranged in two ranks are blunt, flat and short, 2 - 3.5 cm in length with a rounded apex, dark green above and whitish beneath.
Flower Description
Male, catkin-like. Develops from the underside of the leaf axil, yellow colour.
Fruit Description
Cones are 5-10 cm in length and may be purple to olive in colour. The scales are slightly elongated with sharp pointed bracts and are soft at maturity.
Colour Description
Dark green with white stomatic bands below.
Texture Description
Medium.
Propagation
A stratification period of 15-30 days in moist conditions at approximately 3°C is recommended.
Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer)
A resin was once extracted from the plant as an aid in pulmonary conditions. The resin was also used as a varnish in watercolours, glueing microscope slides and sealing birch bark canoes. The light wood is suitable for pulp, the production of boxes and crates and lumber. It may also be grown as a Christmas tree.
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