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Populus balsamifera
Also called Ontario Balsam Poplar, Eastern Balsam Poplar, Hackmatack, Tacamahaca, Bam Tree, Balm Of Gilead, Black Poplar
Balsam poplar is a fast-growing, cold-hardy tree native to the far north of North America and Russia's Far East, known for its sticky, sweetly fragrant resinous buds. It needs cold winters and moist soil, especially on flood plains.
Populus balsamifera, commonly called balsam poplar, bam, bamtree, eastern balsam-poplar, hackmatack, tacamahac poplar, tacamahaca, is a tree species in the balsam poplar species group in the poplar genus, Populus. The genus name Populus is from the Latin for poplar, and the specific epithet balsamifera from Latin for "balsam-bearing".
Populus balsamifera is the northernmost North American hardwood, growing transcontinentally on boreal and montane upland and flood plain sites, and attaining its best development on flood plains. It is a hardy, fast-growing tree which is generally short lived, but some trees as old as 200 years have been found.
Balsam poplars have a native range that includes northern parts of North America and far eastern Russia. In Russia it is recorded as native in the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions basic recording unit of Magadan Oblast including Chukotka Autonomous Okrug.
The light, soft wood of Populus balsamifera is used for pulp. The resinous sap (or the tree's balsam) comes from its buds, and is sometimes used as a hive disinfectant by bees.
White Poplar · Himalayan Poplar · Eastern cottonwood · Bigtooth aspen · Tana River poplar · Black Poplar · Populus pruinosa · Simon poplar · Eurasian Aspen · Quaking aspen · Western Balsam Poplar · Yunnan poplar
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Populus balsamifera by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
