The Balsma Fir

By Al Lowe
Contributor

This is one of the widespread trees of eastern North America. Its scientific name is Abies balsamea, commonly known as Balsam or Fir, or both.
Most people don't really distinguish between balsam, spruce and hemlock. As a mature tree, the top of this one is nearly always pointed, the 'church steeple' tree. The needles are in two ranks, flattened, and have whitish lines on the underside. The female cones stand erect on the small branches. When ripe, the scales open and the seeds fall.
In the original forests of this continent, there were often large stands of pure Balsam Fir. These were probably the result of heavy infestations of the Spruce Budworm. After a budworm attack, the fir seedlings are exposed, have a chance to grow rapidly, and will crowd out many other species. Aside from these pockets, the Fir is usually found in mixed stands.
The Balsam Fir has considerable importance in the pulpwood industry, and is therefor essential to the well-being of Northern Ontario. The wood itself is rather weak and brittle, used for making boxes, crates, and packing cases. Large trees may be sold as spruce for building, and small ones form a considerable part of the Christmas tree trade.
Oil of balsam, made from the bark, is used in medicine. The gum is used as glue for special purposes - eyeglasses and microscope slides, for example. Years ago, fir knots filled with resin, were used as long-burning torches. The seeds are eaten by many of our wintering birds, and the twigs are used by deer and moose as winter food.
The Balsam Fir does not live much more than 100 years. It has a shallow root system, and so may be subject to 'blowdowns'. It's maximum height is about 75 feet, and diameter is about two feet. There are special records, however, of a few of these trees reaching 150 feet in height.
You have all heard of the Spruce Budworm. Well, the preferred food of these insects is not spruce but Balsam Fir. The Maritimes have been ravenged by this insect for many years, and we are seeing some large infestations in our own area. Some of these are so large that they pose a threat to many of the big fir stands, and consequently to the paper industry, upon which so much of our economy depends.
It appears that heroic measures will have to be taken in the future to control the Spruce Budworm and to save and protect the stands of balsam, spruce and other tree species, of great value to us here in the North. I'm sure you will hear much more about this in the future.