of New York 



49 



BALSAM POPLAR 



Populus balsamifera, Linnaeus 



The Balsam Poplar, also called Balm of Gilead, is a 

 well-known tree of the Northwoods, where it reaches a 

 height of 75 feet and a diameter of 3 feet. 



The leaves are alternate, simple, ovate, 3 to 6 inches 



1 to 3 inches wide, lustrous dark green above, and 

 toothed along mar- 

 gin. The leaf-stalks 

 are round and 1 to 



2 inches long. The 

 flowers appear in 

 April before the 

 leaves. The stami- 

 nate are arranged in 

 tassels 3 to 4 inches 

 long and the pistillate 

 in loose-flowered tas- 

 sels 4 to 5 inches 

 long. 



The fruit is a 2- 

 valved capsule ar- 

 ranged in drooping 

 tassels 4 to 5 inches 

 long. It matures 

 from May to June. 



long, 

 finely 



BALSAM POPLAR 

 One-third natural size. 



The bark on old 

 trunks is thick, gray- 

 ish, and roughened by shallow furrows and dark warty for- 

 mations. The twigs are stout reddish-brown to greenish- 

 gray. The buds are large, long-pointed, sticky, resin-coated 

 and fragrant if crushed. The terminal bud is up to one inch 

 long. The wood is light, soft, close-grained, light reddish- 

 brown. 



The Balsam Poplar is a tree of the Northwoods. It is 

 found from Newfoundland south to New York and west 

 through Michigan to Colorado and Alaska. In New York 

 it is common in the Adirondack region and across the north- 

 ern part of the State, but less common southward to Dutch- 

 ess county, the higher Catskills and westward to Wyoming 

 and Niagara counties. 



Moist sites, river bottoms and borders of lakes are its 

 favorite home. This tree grows rapidly and is easily propa- 

 gated from cuttings. It is used locally for shelter belts. 



