Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)

Family: Pinaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Form: Pyramidal.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Bark/Inner Bark

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweetish, better raw than cooked. — Inner bark - cooked.; It is usually dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread.; Fir bark is a delight to chew in winter or early spring, slightly mucilaginous and sweetish, better raw than cooked.; Another report says that it is an emergency food and is only used when all else fails.

Habitat & North American Range

Low swampy grounds where it is often the major component of forests. Also found on well-drained hillsides. (Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6)