balsam fir
Quick Summary
The balsam fir (Abies balsamea) is a resinous North American fir tree. It is widely used for pulpwood and as a Christmas tree. This species is also the source of Canada balsam, an oleoresin collected from pitch blisters on its bark, which is used for mounting specimens on glass slides for microscopic examination.12
Firs, in general, are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus Abies. They are native to North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. True firs are distinguished by their needle-like leaves that grow directly from the branch, leaving circular scars when they fall. Their cones stand upright, and the cone scales separate, leaving the spikelike axis on the branch.2
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
