Name
Basalm Fir (T)
Scientific Name
Abies balsamea
Wildlife Value
Good
Average height
50'
Origin
Native
Shade Tolerance
Very tolerant
Drought Tolerance
Fair
Growth Rate
Mod/Rapid
Fruit
Vertical cones
Special Characteristics
Flat 1" Needles
Transplant Size
12" to 18"
 
 
General Description
It is a midsize conifer with a narrow conic crown but has a shallow root system. 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. Balsam fir is one of our most prolific conifers in northern Minnesota. Balsam fir prefers moderately well drained soil but adapts to a variety of sites. It forms pure stands but often associates with spruce, white birch and trembling aspen. Its hardiness and good shade tolerance enable it to grow in the understory and quickly dominate a site after a disturbance. 
 
Pests
The spruce budworm feeds on its needles and devastates wide swaths of the coniferous forest. Young firs are heavily browsed by deer.
 
Uses
Widely used in the pulp and paper and construction industries, it is also a favorite Christmas tree.