Balsam Fir
 Folks
who grew up in the Northeast or far North know the Balsam Fir well. It
has the most extensive range of any fir in North America
stretching from Maine to the Rockies
and at higher elevations all the way to West Virginia.
Fraser Firs are often referred to as the Southern cousin of the Balsam and
this is a fair analogy. During the last ice age the Balsam fir forests
covered much of North America - as the ice retreated
the Balsam followed it north while remnant populations were left behind at
higher elevations in both the Rockies and the Appalachians.
The Southern Appalachians' population evolved into the
Fraser Fir while the in the Rockies the cut off
population became what we know today as the Corkbark
Fir (a tree we've started growing on the farm). Most growers felt that
Virginia was too far south for the Balsam but enterprising West Virginians
developed a cultivar frequently called the Canaan Fir (which is sometime
described as being a natural hybrid of the Balsam and Fraser firs) and now it
is being grown widely in the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina.
The Balsam Fir, like its cousin the Fraser Fir, has a wonderul fragrance and fantastic needle retention.
Our trees tend to have a faint bluish tint to their needles (as seen in the
photo on the left). They do not have as strong a silver stripe on the
underside of its needle which is the most notable difference between it and
the Fraser Fir.
It has excellent twig stiffness and makes a very handsome
Christmas tree. We happy to be able to offer well known tree to our
offerings.
To ensure your fresh-cut tree looks its best throughout the
season follow the Tree Care
directions we provide with each tree.
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