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Populus balsamifera
| Common name: |
Balsam Poplar |
Family: |
Salicaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
11, 43, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
Populus tacamahacca (Mill.) |
| Known Hazards: |
None known |
| Range: |
Northern N. America - Newfoundland to Alaska, south to New England, Iowa and Colorado. |
| Habitat: |
Deep moist sandy soils of river bottomlands, stream banks, borders of lakes and swamps[229]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
2 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| P. balsamifera ssp. balsamifera[B,P]
P. balsamifera subsp. balsamifera[G]
P. balsamifera var. candicans[B,P]
P. balsamifera var. fernaldiana[B,P]
P. balsamifera var. lanceolata[B,P]
P. balsamifera var. michauxii[B,P]
P. balsamifera var. subcordata[B,P]
P. candicans[B,G,P]
P. michauxii[B,P]
P. tacamahaca[B,P]
P. tacamahaca var. candicans[B,P]
P. tacamahaca var. lanceolata[B,P]
P. tacamahaca var. michauxii[B,P]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Balm Of Gilead [E,H], Balm Of Gilead Buds [H], Balm Of Gilead Poplar [S], Balsam Poplar [FEIS,S,DEN1,E,H,P,L,B], Black Cottonwood [H], Eastern Balsam-Poplar [L], Hai T'Ung [E], Poplar, Balsam [S], Tacamahac [H,L], Tacamahaca [E], Tacomahaca [H], Tz'U T'Ung [E], Western Balsam Poplar [H], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
balsamifer = balsam bearing
balsamifera = balsam bearing
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Salicales. Willow family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
China
Us Us(Amerindian) Us(Appalachia)
|
Physical Characteristics
A decidious tree growing to 30m by 8m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 2. The scented flowers are dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and are pollinated by Wind.
The plant not is self-fertile.
We rate it 2/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Canopy.Edible Uses
Flowers
Inner bark.
Inner bark[161, 177, 257]. It is best used in spring[172].
Mucilaginous[257]. There are no more details but inner bark is often dried,
ground into a powder and then used as a thickener in soups etc or added to
cereals when making bread.
Catkins - raw or cooked. A bitter flavour[172].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Anodyne
Antiinflammatory Antiscorbutic Antiseptic Cathartic Diuretic Expectorant Febrifuge Stimulant Tonic.
Balsam poplar has a long history of medicinal use. It was valued by
several native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of
complaints, but especially to treat skin problems and lung ailments[257]. In
modern herbalism it is valued as an expectorant and antiseptic tonic.
The leaf buds are antiscorbutic, antiseptic, diuretic, expectorant,
stimulant, tonic[4, 46, 61, 165, 172]. The leaf buds are covered with a
resinous sap that has a strong turpentine odour and a bitter taste[213].They
are boiled in order to separate the resin and the resin is then dissolved in
alcohol[222]. The resin is a folk remedy, used as a salve and wash for sores,
rheumatism, wounds etc[222, 257]. It is made into a tea and used as a wash
for sprains, inflammation, muscle pains etc[222]. Internally, the tea is used
in the treatment of lung ailments and coughs[222]. The buds can also be put
in hot water and used as an inhalant to relieve congested nasal
passages[213].
The bark is cathartic and tonic[4]. Although no specific mention has been
seen for this species, the bark of most, if not all members of the genus
contain salicin, a glycoside that probably decomposes into salicylic acid
(aspirin) in the body[213, 238]. The bark is therefore anodyne,
anti-inflammatory and febrifuge. It is used especially in treating rheumatism
and fevers, and also to relieve the pain of menstrual cramps[238].
A tea made from the inner bark is used as an eye wash and in the treatment
of scurvy[222].
Other Uses
Pioneer
Repellent Resin Rooting hormone Wood.
An extract of the shoots can be used as a rooting hormone for all types
of cuttings. It is extracted by soaking the chopped up shoots in cold water
for a day[172].
The resin obtained from the buds was used by various native North American
Indian tribes to waterproof the seams on their canoes[226].
The resin on the buds has been used as an insect repellent[257]. The bark
has been burnt to repel mosquitoes[257].
A pioneer species, capable of invading cleared land and paving the way for
other woodland trees[229]. It is not very shade tolerant and so it is
eventually out-competed by the woodland trees.
Wood - soft, light, rather woolly in texture, without smell or taste, of low
flammability, not durable, very resistant to abrasion[11, 46, 61, 171]. It
weighs 23lb per cubic foot[235], and is used for pulp, boxes etc[11, 46, 61,
171]. The wood is also used as a fuel, it gives off a pleasant odour when
burning[226].
Cultivation details
An easily grown plant, it does well in a heavy cold damp soil[1],
though it prefers a deep rich well-drained circumneutral soil, growing best
in the south and east of Britain[11, 200]. Growth is much less on wet soils,
on poor acid soils and on thin dry soils[11]. Does not do well in exposed
upland sites[11]. Dislikes shade, it is intolerant of root or branch
competition[200].
A fast-growing and generally short-lived tree, though specimens 150 - 200
years old have occasionally been recorded[229. This is a pioneer species,
invading cleared land, old fields etc, but unable to tolerate shade
competition and eventually being out-competed by other trees[229]. It is not
fully satisfactory in Britain[11].
In spring and early summer the buds and young leaves have a strong fragrance
of balsam[188, 245].
Poplars have very extensive and aggressive root systems that can invade and
damage drainage systems. Especially when grown on clay soils, they should not
be planted within 12 metres of buildings since the root system can damage the
building's foundations by drying out the soil[11].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].
Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagation
Seed - must be sown as soon as it is ripe in spring[113]. Poplar seed
has an extremely short period of viability and needs to be sown within a few
days of ripening[200]. Surface sow or just lightly cover the seed in trays in
a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are
large enough to handle and grow them on in the old frame. If sufficient
growth is made, it might be possible to plant them out in late summer into
their permanent positions, otherwise keep them in the cold frame until the
following late spring and then plant them out. Most poplar species hybridize
freely with each other, so the seed may not come true unless it is collected
from the wild in areas with no other poplar species growing[11].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 20 - 40cm long,
November/December in a sheltered outdoor bed or direct into their permanent
positions. Very easy.
Suckers in early spring[78].
Scent
-
Leaves: Fresh
- The leaf buds, as they swell in the spring, and the young leaves have a pleasing fragrance of balsam[245].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Illustration
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [S] Image
from the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
- [DEN] Data _ Photos
(Good Identification info) from the Virginia Tech's Dendrology Deptarments' Tree Fact Sheets.
References for Populus balsamifera ssp. balsamifera (a possible synonym).
References for Populus balsamifera subsp. balsamifera (a possible synonym).
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
References for Populus tacamahacca (a possible synonym).
References for the family Salicaceae.
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
[161] Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.
[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.
[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
Readers Comments
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Plant information taken from the
Plants For A Future -
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Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963 This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Populus+balsamifera
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