Abies balsamea
Family: Pinaceae
Balsam Fir

The genus Abies (True Firs) is composed of about 40 species native to North America [9], Central America [7], Africa [2], Europe [1] and Eurasia [25]. Abies is the classical Latin name of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) of Europe. The word balsamea is the ancient word for the balsam tree, referring to the resinous pockets or blisters in the bark.

Abies balsamea-Abete balsamico, abeto balsamico, abeto oloroso, balm-of-gilead, balm-of-gilead fir, balsam, balsam fir, balsam-gran, balsam-tanne, balsem-den, balsemzilver-den, beaumier de Gilead, blister fir, blister pine, blisters cho-koh-tung, bracted balsam fir, Canadian balsam, Canadian fir, eastern fir, fir pine, firs d'america, fir-tree, Gilead fir, sapin, sapin baumier, sapin beaumier, sapin blanc, sapin rouge, silver fir, silver pine, single pine, single spruce, var.

Distribution

From Newfoundland and Labrador west to northeast Alberta, south and east to southern Manitoba, Minnesota, northeast Iowa, central Wisconsin, central Michigan, southern Ontario, New York, central Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maine.

The Tree

Balsam fir normally reaches heights of 60 feet with diameters of1.5 feet. Trees growing in optimal conditions can reach heights of 90 feet with diameters of 2.5 feet. It grows from sea level to about 6,000 feet.

The Wood

General

The wood is white to pale brown. It is without distinctive odor or taste. It is light weight and soft, has good splitting resistance, is low in shock resistance. Mechanically, it ranks better than white spruce (Picea glauca), and is equal to or less than properties of red (Picea rubens) and black spruce (Picea mariana). It has low nail holding capacity.

Mechanical Properties (2-inch standard)

				Compression
	Specific Gravity	MOE Gpa	MOR MPa	Parallel MPa	Perpendicular MPa	WML^a KJ/m3	Hardness N	Shear MPa
Green	0.33	8.62	37.9	18.1	1.31	32	1,290	4.55
Dry	0.35	10.0	63.4	36.4	2.76	35	1,780	940
^aWML = Work to maximum load. Reference (15).

Drying and Shrinkage

Type of shrinkage	Percentage of shrinkage (green to final moisture content)
	0% MC	6% MC	20% MC
Tangential	6.9	5.5	2.3
Radial	2.9	2.3	1.0
Volumetric	11.2	9.0	3.7
References: 0% MC (15), 6% and 20% MC (14).

Kiln Drying Schedules

Conventional temperature/moisture content-controlled schedules^a
Condition	4/4, 5/4 stock	6/4 stock	8/4 stock	10/4 stock	12/4 stock	British schedule 4/4 stock
Standard	T12-E5	NA	T10-E4	T8-A4	T8-A4	L
^aReference (2,12).

Conventional temperature/time-controlled schedules^a
	Lower grades			Upper grades
Condition	4/4, 5/4 stock	6/4 stock	8/4 stock	4/4, 5/4 stock	6/4 stock	8/4 stock	12/4, 16/4 stock
Standard	291	291	291	294	294	294	288
^aReferences (2,12).

High temperature^a
Condition	4/4, 5/4 stock	6/4 stock	8/4 stock	Other products
Standard	400	400	400	NA
^aReferences (2,12).

Working Properties: Balsam fir works easily with both hand tools and machine operations. It finishes well, provided one uses sharp cutting edges. It takes nails, paint, varnish and polish well. It has good splitting resistance.

Durability: It is rated as slightly resistant to nonresistant to heartwood decay (15). It is susceptible to attack by ambrosia beetles (pinhole borers), longhorn beetles, Buprestid beetles and Sirex wood wasps (5).

Preservation: Reported as resistant to preservative treatments (5).

Uses: The tree is a favorite Christmas tree, while the wood is used for pulpwood, lumber, light frame construction, paneling and crates. The oleoresin (balsam) is used in microscopy, medicinal compounds and spirit varnishes.

Toxicity: Working with the wood may cause eczema or dermatitis (4,9&16).

Additional Reading and References Cited (in parentheses)

1. Bender, F. Canada Balsam, its preparation and uses. Ottawa, Canada: Canada Department of Forestry and Rural Development, Forestry Branch, Departmental Publication No. 1182; 1967.

2. Boone, R. S.; Kozlik, C. J.; Bois, P. J., and Wengert, E. M. Dry kiln schedules for commercial woods - temperate and tropical. Madison, WI: USDA Forest Service, FPL-GTR-57; 1988.

3. Frank, R. M. Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., Balsam Fir. in: Burns, R. M. and Honkala, B. H., tech. coords. Silvics of North America. Volume 1, Conifers. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service; 1990; pp. 26-35.

4. Hausen, B. M. Woods injurious to human health. A manual. New York, NY: Walter de Gruyter; 1981.

5. Henderson, F. Y. A handbook of softwoods. London: HMSO; 1977.

6. Hyam, R. and Pankhurst, R. Plant and their names. A concise dictionary. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; 1995.

7. Little, jr. E. L. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Washington, DC: USGPO, USDA Forest Service, Ag. Handbook No. 541; 1979.

8. Marriott, F. G. and Greaves, C. Canada Balsam, its preparation and uses. Ottawa, Canada: Canada Department of Mines and Resources, Lands Parks and Forests Branch, Dominion Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratories, Mimeograph #123.; 1947.

9. Mitchell, J. and Rook, A. Botanical dermatology: plants and plant products injurious to the skin. Vancouver, BC: Greenglass Ltd.; 1979.

10. Record, S. J. and Hess R. W. Timbers of the new world. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press; 1943.

11. Robinson, A. I. Canada Balsam. The Microscope. 1938; 2(6):141-143.

12. Simpson, W. T. Dry kiln operator's manual. Madison, WI: USDA Forest Service, FPL Ag. Handbook No. 188; 1991.

13. Sonderman, D. L. Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea). Washington, DC, USA: USDA Forest Service, American Woods Series, FS-234; 1970.

14. Summitt, R. and Sliker, A. CRC handbook of materials science. Vol. 4. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Inc.; 1980.

15. USDA. Wood handbook: wood as an engineering material. Madison, WI: USDA Forest Service, FPL Ag. Handbook No. 72; 1974.

16. Woods, B. and Calnan, C. D. Toxic woods. British Journal of Dermatology. 1976; 95(13):1-97.