Spermatophytes (seed plants): Gymnosperms (non-flowering plants): Conifers: Pinales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Abies balsamea
FAMILY
Pinaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Abies balsamea
FAMILY
Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Abies balsamea
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Abies balsamea
COMMON NAME:
Balsam Fir, Northern Balsam, Canada Balsam, Blister Pine
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Trees You Want to Know (Peattie, 1934); illustration by F.A. Michaux dcp34_p12
)
Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent, 1905) mtna_i_084
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_abba_001_lvd
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide pnd_abba_006_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm090924_046
September Hancock County ME
Acadia National Park: Wild Gardens of Acadia
Bark initially thin, smooth except for resin blisters of aromatic "balsam", per Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Abies balsamea
FAMILY
Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Abies balsamea
FAMILY
Pinaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Abies balsamea
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Abies balsamea
3023
Tree
Perennial
Monoecious
Habitat: High elevation forests and cliffs (in VA and northwards); high elevation frost-pocket wetlands (WV), northwards somewhat more general in cool, mountain areas, per Weakley's Flora
Native: north of the Carolinas
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Needles flattened, to 1.25" long
Needles not in bundles, arranged on all sides of twig
"FLOWER":
Spring
Unisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall?
Cone
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Identifying Trees: An All-Season Guide to Eastern North America (Williams, 2007) p198
- Native Trees of the Southeast, An Identification Guide (Kirkman, Brown, & Leopold, 2007) p258
- Trees of the Southeastern United States (Duncan & Duncan, 1988) p039
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p043
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
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Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".