Balsam Fir

Balsam fir

Abies balsamea, terebinthine canadensis

aninaandag (she points out), zhingob, bigiwaandag, baapaashkwaatig; ingiigido'aag (she speaks for us); wadab;  napakasita (Cree, Flat-needle spruce, medicine tree, infection fighter), napakahsiht (Woods Cree, Flat Branch), pikkowahtik (Woods Cree, Gum Wood), napakasihtipikiw (Cree, pitch)

Balsam fir needles are flat with two white bands on the bottom. They are attached spirally but are twisted to form two rows on one plane. You can see the disks or "balls" where the needles join the twig.
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Balsam fir is an evergreen tree that reaches a height of 40 to 8o feet. It is a slow-growing and short-lived tree found in coniferous and mixed forests, cedar swamps and bogs. Since it is tolerant of shade, the seedlings often come in under a canopy of other species such as white and black spruces, aspen, red maple and yellow and white birches. The needles are flattened, about 1/2 inch long. The cones are clustered at the top of the tree and point upwards. The appear in May and are about 1 inch long and grow to about 2 to 4 inches by the time they ripen in autumn. The bark and needles are very resinous and aromatic.
(Plants used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa)
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For thousands of years Native Americans used Balsam fir for medicinal and therapeutic purposes. The needles are digested directly off the tree by many animals and humans. Higher content dosage is ingested in tea. Balsam Fir contains vitamin C, which has been studied for its effects on bacterial and viral infections. The resin from Balsam Fir is called “Canada Balsam” and is used to make glue and fragrance in candles and soaps.
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Tea made from the bark is used for kidney problems. The bark is boiled with other roots to make a combination for treating asthma. Branches are used to cover the ground at sacred sites such as a sweat lodge. Pitch used for irregular menses and the clear fragrant resin from the bark to treat cuts, burns and all manner of skin afflictions. The resin is chewed to relieve heart and chest pains, as well as other respiratory conditions like colds, bronchitis, and asthma. It is combined with sturgeon oil as an ointment to treat tuberculosis. The bark is decocted for kidney and respiratory problems, usually in combination with other plants. Even the root is sued: small pieces are held in the mouth to relieve sores.
(A Cree Healer and His Medicine Bundle)
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The tree is rich in vitamin C and Canada turpentine, and therefore probably useful as a preventive medicine against colds and influenza. The tops and/or cones were steeped in water and the tea taken to relieve colic. It was also used to treat asthma and tuberculosis. The sap may be sued to treat stomach ulcers. A teaspoon of sap mixed with a cup of warm milk and water should be taken twice daily. Balsam sap may also be applied to cuts and sores because of its healing and antiseptic qualities. The sap is easily obtained by puncturing the blisters on the bark of the tree.
(Mi'kmaq medicines)
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This tree was used to treat many ailments including headaches, rheumatism, colds, coughs, sores, and sore eyes. Balsam fir was also used as a hair ointment, as a wash and in sweat lodges ceremonies. (Plants used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa)
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A Cree Healer and His Medicine Bundle

Mi'kmaq medicines

Plants used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa