Balsam Fir (Abies Balsamea)

Balsam Fir needles

This is the favourite “Christmas Tree” in North America. The reason is that it has two advantages over other evergreens that are used as Christmas trees. It holds its needles for a longer period send it is very aromatic. The “Balsam” is the most pleasantly aromatic member of the evergreen family.

Firs and Spruces may look alike to a beginner, but here are some differences:

The cones of all firs grow upright on the branchlets, whereas the cones of Spruces hang down.

Also Spruce needles stripped from a twig leave little projections rough to the touch along the bare twig. When removed from the branch there is a small woody stem joining to the branch, while a fir does not have this stem. If Fir needles are stripped in the same fashion, the leaf scars that remain on the twig will be tiny circles.

The Spruce needles are squarish in cross section while the Fir needles are narrowly rectangular.

The spruce has picky needles and hard, while the Fir has softer ends on the needles.

The Spruce needles grow from the branch at all angles while the Fir needles grow sidewise.