Balsam Fir

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US(Amerindian), Belgium, Canada, Canada(Caughnawaga), Elswhere, US

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Burn, Cancer, Cold, Cough

Science studied: ABIENOL, ABIESLACTONE, BUPLEUROL, DEHYDROJUVABIONE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Pinaceae

Scientific name: Abies balsamea

Common names: Balsam Fir, Abete balsamico, Balm Of Gilead Fir, Balsam, Balsam göknarı, Balsam-Tanne, Balsam-ædelgran, Balsamtanne, Balsemzilverspar, Balzama abio, Balzama baltegle, Balzaminis kėnis, Balzamovec, Canada Balsam, Canada balsam, Canadian Fir

POWO: 1084057-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in US(Amerindian), Belgium, Canada, Canada(Caughnawaga), Elsewhere, Elswhere, US.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Burn
• Cancer
• Cold
• Cough
• Heart
• Masticatory
• Sore
• Steam-Bath

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• US(Amerindian)
• Belgium
• Canada
• Canada(Caughnawaga)
• Elsewhere
• Elswhere
• US

Documented cultural uses

• Burn
• Cancer
• Cold
• Cough
• Heart
• Masticatory
• Sore
• Steam-Bath
• Wound
• Anodyne
• Catarrh
• Urogenital

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Burn · US(Amerindian) · "
• Cancer · Belgium · "
• Cold · US(Amerindian) · "
• Cough · US(Amerindian) · "
• Heart · US(Amerindian) · "
• Masticatory · Canada · "
• Sore · US(Amerindian) · "
• Steam-Bath · US(Amerindian) · "
• Wound · US(Amerindian) · "
• Anodyne · US(Amerindian) · "
• Cancer · Canada(Caughnawaga) · "
• Catarrh · Elsewhere · "
• Urogenital · Elswhere · "
• Wart · US · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Effect of Pyroligneous Acid on Needle Retention and Certain Stress-Related Phytochemicals in Balsam Fir (<i>Abies balsamea</i>). · 2026 source ↗
• Mapping Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) Christmas Tree Nutrition Requirements Using Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles and Multispectral Sensing · 2024 source ↗
• Fir (Abies balsamea) (Pinales: Pinaceae) needle essential oil enhances the knockdown activity of select insecticides. · 2023 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ABIENOL
• ABIESLACTONE
• BUPLEUROL
• DEHYDROJUVABIONE
• 4,4-DIMETHYLCYCLOHEPT-2-EN-1-OL
• EO
• MUCILAGE
• BETA-PHELLANDRENE
• RESIN
• BORNYL-ACETATE
• ANDROL
• 3-CARENE
• JUVABIONE
• ALPHA-PHELLANDRENE
• BETULIN
• ALPHA-PINENE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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