• Barnes, Douglas P.
  School of Forestry & Wildlife Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  
• Sinclair, Steven A.
  School of Forestry & Wildlife Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  

Balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., is a small to medium size tree that reaches a height of 40 to 60 ff (12 to 18 m) and a diameter of 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) at maturity. It is a highly tolerant species of the boreal forest and often is found in relatively pure stands or with white spruce, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss; aspen, Populus spp.; and birch, Betula spp. Balsam fir typically establishes itself from seed under heavy shade. This species is a relatively short-lived tree; most trees over 90 years old have a high percentage of heart rot. It is one of the most widely distributed North American softwood tree species, covering approximately 150 million acres (61 million ha). The spruce-fir forests of the Eastern United States occupy more than 18 million acres (7 million ha), mostly in New England and the Lake States. In Canada, balsam fir grows from Labrador, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia through New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, and the Prairie Provinces northwest to Lesser Slave Lake in Alberta.