Summer Greetings from Vermont

Summer Greetings

In this newsletter I will share some interesting information about the balsam fir that I‘ve found in various places. The balsam tree has had, and continues to have many uses. As you will read, the fresh balsam fragrance has been used and enjoyed for a very long time. Native Americans found some very interesting medicinal uses for it also.

Balsam is known for not only its magnificent shape but also for its spicy and delicious fragrance. The flat, dense, dark green needles are well suited for wreaths and holiday decorations such as the increasingly popular kissing ball. It has long been popular as a Christmas tree, primarily for it’s fragrance and it’s strong retention of needles on the branches long after the tree has been cut down. Balsam fir is the provinical tree of New Brunswick, Canada.

Balsam was a veritable dispensary for American Indians. This plant was widely used medicinally by various North American Indian tribes. Many different parts of the balsam were used. The resin was often inhaled in steam or smoke as a treatment for headaches and consumed to help alleviate sore throats. The needles were used in sweat baths, which can be considered equivalent to a sauna. Handfuls of balsam needles placed on live coals would be used as a scent. The inhaled vapors would help clear up congestion of colds, coughs, asthma and bronchitis. Balsam fir based topical medications were also used in treating external problems such as bites, sores, and wounds on the skin. These medications were rubbed on the chest or even applied as a herbal plaster for treating respiratory infections of all kinds.

Once the benefits of the resin and the balsam fir as a whole became known, it eventually found its way into the general U.S. pharmacopoeia as an effective herbal medicine. The resin is believed to be one of the best natural remedies for the treatment of a sore throat. The tea made from the leaves of the balsam fir is used in the treatment of persistent coughs, in treating common colds and in bringing down fevers. A product called "Indian glue" made from balsam gum can be applied undiluted to external injuries such as an abscess,on an open wound.

Balsam fir pitch was also previously employed as a material to waterproof the seams of canoes by Native American people. The soaps and perfumery industry use the resin as a fixative. Other parts of the tree were also used in various manufactures, for example, young twigs and branches as well as the leaves made for good stuffing material for pillows, mattresses and other household items. When used as stuffing, these would give off a pleasant scent and act as a repellent to moths and other insects.

Balsam Fir has a long tradition of other uses as well. In the 1800's, woodsmen in the Adirondacks used balsam boughs for bedding material for the softness of the boughs and also for the rich fir fragrance. Their fondness for the fragrance led to the development of the Balsam Pillow, both for bedding and as a decorative accessory. Balsam pillows became so popular that women's church groups throughout the Adirondacks would hold Balsam Bees to make the pillows for a church fund-raiser, and tourists would look forward to bringing several home to capture a touch of the mountain aroma. More exotic application of the balsam also emerged in the 1800's, such as "Balsa-Jel" a mixture of balsam pitch and Vaseline, recommended for clearing nasal passages and for throat irritation. Balsam pitch is the active ingredient in Lee's Save-The-Baby, a cough suppressant sold continuously since 1874. And the freshness of the balsam, pine and hemlock in the air was an element of Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau's therapy at his sanitarium for tuberculosis in Saranac Lake,New York.

Balsam trees also provide important habitat for animals. Balsam fir is a major food of moose during winter. Moose may browse balsam fir in winter to save energy because the twigs weigh 8 to 13 times more than deciduous twigs of similar length and therefore it requires less time and effort to consume equivalent amounts. Spruce and ruffed grouse feed on balsam fir needles, tips, and buds, which often make up 5 to 10 percent of the fall and winter diet. Red squirrels feed on balsam fir male flower buds, Balsam fir provides important winter cover for white-tailed deer and moose. Lowland balsam fir stands are used extensively by white-tailed deer as winter yarding areas, and by moose with calves during severe winters. During summer, deer, bear, and moose often rest under the shade of balsam fir trees.

So, now we all have a better appreciation for the balsam fir tree also known as the “warm friendship herb”. I hope you've enjoyed learning more about our favorite tree here in Vermont.

Until next time, remember to
SLOW DOWN AND SMELL THE BALSAM!

Fragrant Regards,
Balsam Sue and Rich