Balsam fir: a jewel in the forest

We weigh our words when we talk about a "jewel": the balsam fir is a true treasure of our forests.

Let's start with a brief, factual description —it's always a good way to break the ice! It's a member of the conifer family and can live up to 150 years. Of all the fir trees in the world, it grows the furthest north (up to the 58th parallel). Another interesting feature: it likes to be huddled together with its fellow trees, making it an excellent windbreak!

If you want to recognize it during your future walks, here are some clues that will help you. It has smooth, grayish bark, dotted with gum-filled vesicles. Its needles are glossy green, flat, and not prickly, unlike those of the spruce. Moreover, it keeps its needles longer than the latter.


Balsam fir needles

First Nations peoples discovered the benefits of balsam fir long ago. They used it in their medicine but also for practical purposes: the gum can be used as glue for canoes, shoes, or to strengthen arrowheads.

Europeans also came to benefit from the fir's virtues, particularly after a disastrous episode for Jacques Cartier's crew. In the winter of 1536, an epidemic of scurvy (a severe vitamin C deficiency) struck more than half of the men, leading them to certain death. Jacques Cartier then noticed that a native chief, Stadaconé, had recovered after also being affected by the disease. The chief then taught the French navigator balsam fir medicine. The crew members took a fir decoction for several days and were finally cured. Jacques Cartier later named it the tree of life.


Jacques Cartier meets the First Nations

But then, what gives this plant such great powers?

It contains a lot of vitamin C and compounds that make it: tonic, antibacterial, antiseptic, decongestant and anti-inflammatory. Fir is particularly indicated for winter ailments by supporting the immune system and soothing the throat and lungs.
The gum can also be used as a poultice on wounds to disinfect them. Health Canada has recognized its benefits in relieving infections and inflammation of the respiratory tract.
Other more practical uses are surprising: varnish, microscope slides, glue for optical lenses, paints, etc.

But let's not forget a very important use: in cooking! And yes, fir has a very pleasant resinous taste. There are the young shoots which are more subtle and the mature needles which are marked in taste, with a slight bitterness. In both cases, they can be used as aromatics, with fresh or dried branches, as a spice by powdering them, incorporated into jellies, syrups, or consumed as an infusion.

Let's finish with two final unique qualities. First, it's a tree that will allow you to start a fire even in wet weather: its gum and needles filled with essential oils are highly flammable. Second, it smells really good and can be used to make natural incense with its needles, wood, and resin.

We're sure you're eager to go pick some now! So here are our recommended harvest times:

• gum: June to August
• young shoots: June - July
• needles: all year round

With this article, you will undoubtedly better understand our love for this tree and why we use it in several products. We want to go even further! It's a real first aid kit of the woods, a treasure still unknown to many people and we are happy if you enjoyed learning more about it.