When most of us think of a Balsam Fir tree, we think of decorating it for the holidays. What most of us might not realize is that the Balsam Fir tree not only smells good, but that its needles, roots, inner bark, and resin all have an amazing medicinal history among Native Americans and the Algonquian peoples.
About Balsam Fir
This is native to boreal forests of eastern North America that can be found in New England. It ranges as far west as the Canadian Rockies and as far south as the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. The Balsam Fir is a medium-size evergreen that grows up to 66 feet tall. This tree spires upward ending in a narrow crown of dark, dense leaves. The bark on a young balsam fir tree is smooth and grey with resin blisters that tend to spray when punctured. The needles of this tree are flat and about 1 and a quarter inches long with two distinctive white stripes on their underside. The needles become shorter and thicker the higher up they grow on the tree. The cones are erect and grow up to four inches and change color from dark purple to brown as they ripen. After they ripen they disintegrate to release winged seeds in September.
Medicinal Uses
The roots are boiled and made into a decoction that acts as an analgesic to relieve pain from rheumatism. An infusion of needles acts as an emollient anti-septic for cleaning open sores and wounds, relieving insect bites and stings, boils and infections. The Potawatomi applied the gum or resin of the Balsam Fir as a salve to treat minor cuts and burns. The Algonquin drank a decoction made from the roots to treat kidney pain. The Ojibwa use a balsam decoction to induce sweating and as an expectorant to relieve soreness of the chest due to coughing. They also melt the gum on hot stones and inhale the fumes to relieve headaches. Chewing the inner bark and sap of the Balsam Fir was done to heal sores in the mouth. The Micmac brew tea from the Balsam's buds and cones and administer it as a laxative. Woodland Cree used the pitch of the balsam to treat menstrual irregularity. The Iroquois use steam from a decoction to treat rheumatism and to ease childbirth. They apply a poultice of gum and dried beaver kidneys to treat cancer. The Maliseet use the juice as a laxative and use the pitch in some medicines.
Cultural Uses
The Ojibwa used Balsam Fir in a ceremonial sweat bath. The Penobscot uses the boughs of the Balsam fir to build wigwams. The Atikamekw chew the sap as a cold remedy and use the boughs as mats to sleep and sit on. The Maliseet use the needles and branches as pillows and use the pitch to waterproof seams in canoes.
A Legend
There is also an Algonquian legend of the Great Chenoo that descended from the icy north that used the branches of the Balsam Fir tree to hide his heart from other witches. This Chenoo hid inside a wigwam of a young family. The woman, whose husband was away hunting realized the situation and treated this witch with great hospitality so it would not eat her or her child. When the husband came home from hunting, his wife persuaded him not to fight the witch, which was too powerful. They stoked the fire and the witch's heart melted and became very sick. The couple fed the witch deer meat and the Chenoos strength revived and they lived in harmony until the Chenoo perished from the heat of the summer.
Did You Know...
Balsam Fir trees that are used as Christmas trees are not taken from the forest, they are grown on large plantations.
The Balsam Fir was used for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree six times between 1964 and 2019.
The resin was used as a color remedy and as a glue for glasses.
Prior to the availability of foam mattresses for camping the balsam fir boughs were used as the preferred mattress by campers.
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