balsam poplar
balsam poplar, North American poplar (Populus balsamifera), native from Labrador to Alaska and across the extreme northern U.S. Often cultivated as a shade tree, it has buds thickly coated with an aromatic resin that is used to make cough syrups. It grows best in northwestern Canada.
This article was most recently revised and updated by William L. Hosch.
Citation Information
Article Title:
balsam poplar
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
30 January 2009
Access Date:
November 14, 2026