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Abies balsamea - Balsam Fir. Pyramidal tree up to 50ft tall with dark green needles. Doesn't thrive in hot-summer climates. Has legendary fragrance, making it popular for wreaths and Christmas trees.
Abies balsamea - Balsam Fir. Pyramidal tree up to 50ft tall with dark green needles. Doesn't thrive in hot-summer climates. Has legendary fragrance, making it popular for wreaths and Christmas trees.
The '''balsam fir''' (''Abies balsamea'') is a [[North America]]n [[fir]], native to most of eastern and central [[Canada]] ([[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]] west to central [[Alberta]]) and the northeastern [[United States]] ([[Minnesota]] east to [[Maine]], and south in the [[Appalachian Mountains]] to [[West Virginia]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ABBA |title=PLANTS Profile for Abies balsamea (balsam fir) | USDA PLANTS |accessdate=2007-07-17 |format= |work=}}</ref>
It is a small to medium-size [[evergreen]] [[tree]] typically {{convert|14|-|20|m}} tall, rarely to {{convert|27|m}} tall, with a narrow conic crown. The [[bark]] on young trees is smooth, grey, and with [[resin]] blisters (which tend to spray when ruptured), becoming rough and fissured or scaly on old trees. The [[leaf|leaves]] are flat needle-like, 15 to 30 millimetres (½–1 in) long, dark green above often with a small patch of [[stomata]] near the tip, and two white stomatal bands below, and a slightly notched tip. They are arranged spirally on the shoot, but with the leaf bases twisted to appear in two more-or-less horizontal rows. The [[conifer cone|cones]] are erect, 40 to 80 millimetres (1½–3 in) long, dark purple, ripening brown and disintegrating to release the winged [[seed]]s in September.<br clear = left>
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==Cultivation==
==Cultivation==
===Propagation===
===Propagation===
===Pests and diseases===
===Pests and diseases===
==Varieties==
==Varieties==
* Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis - Bracted Balsam Fir
There are two varieties:
*''Abies balsamea'' var. ''balsamea'' (balsam fir) - bracts subtending seed scales short, not visible on the closed cones. Most of the species' range.
*''Abies balsamea'' var. ''phanerolepis'' (bracted balsam fir or Canaan fir) - bracts subtending seed scales longer, visible on the closed cone. The southeast of the species' range, from southernmost [[Quebec]] to [[West Virginia]]. The name 'Canaan Fir' derives from one of its native localities, the [[Canaan Valley, West Virginia|Canaan Valley]] in West Virginia. Some botanists regard this variety as a natural hybrid between balsam fir and [[Fraser fir]] (''Abies fraseri''), which occurs further south in the Appalachian mountains.
From other sources:
*'Nana' is a dwarf variety good in rock gardens and containers.
*'Nana' is a dwarf variety good in rock gardens and containers.
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery perrow=5>
<gallery>
File:Abies balsamea branch.jpg
File:Abies balsamea branch.jpg
Image:Upload.png| photo 1
Image:Upload.png| photo 1
==References==
==References==
<references/>
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
