010 - Balsam Traditions, part 1

Balsam trees are one of the most popular kind of trees that ends up in people’s home every holiday season. Find out why this conifer tree is an Adirondack Favorite. 

Transcript

Balsam Traditions

[Podcast Preview]

If you know anything about the Adirondacks, you know that we’ve got a LOT of trees up here. The Adirondack Park alone has at least 100 different species of trees that are naturally found here! We have so many trees that fill the outdoors as far as the eyes can see. 

One kind of Adirondack tree becomes very popular during the holiday season. Find out what tree it is on this week’s podcast episode. 

[Intro] Ready to earn some extra credit? This is Taylor and Diane and you are listening to ADKX-tra Credit. A history podcast for students made by the Adirondack Experience, the Museum on Blue Mountain Lake,  located in the heart of the Adirondack Park of New York State.

[Content]

The air is colder, the snow is falling, and it’s time to get ready for the holiday season! 

Like I said before, there is one tree that becomes the star of the holiday season. That would be the Balsam Tree. 

Balsam is a type of conifer tree. Do you know what that means? Conifer means cone-bearing. You’ve probably heard of a pine cone! Cones are what holds the tree’s seeds from the tree. Conifer trees stay green year round. They have needles on them--not leaves. Most conifers’ needles don’t change color or fall off. 

Balsam Trees have lots of uses. They are not only used for decoration. Balsam trees can be used for making good quality paper, wood pulp, and light construction projects. A Balsam tree’s resin can also be used for different things. Resin is a sticky and thick liquid produced by trees. Balsam resin has been used in microscope slides, optical equipment, and medicine. You’ll learn more about in part two of a future podcast episode.

The Balsam’s needles make it the star of the conifer trees. Its needles give off a smell. It's a nice smell that reminds people of the holiday season! The smell lasts for a long time. Many people choose it for their annual Christmas trees and wreaths! Our museum gift shop always has the smell of Balsam in the air from the many Balsam scented gifts we sell. 

Balsam trees can be found in most areas of the 6 million acres Adirondack Park. Adirondackers have been using Balsam to start their own traditions for years. 

The Balsam tree’s needles are soft. They are soft enough to sleep on! People have taken branches from Balsam trees to make Balsam Beds. A Balsam Bed is a layer of Balsam branches layered on top of each other.

In the book, Adirondack Pilgrimage, Paul Jamieson wrote this about balsam beds:

“First, a base of balsam boughs was laid on the ground. Next, several loads of balsam tips were then stuck upright in the boughs with the bottoms bent under an inch or two. The result was a soft, springy bed fit for tender New Englanders, if not for the delicate lady in the story of the princess and the pea. “

Balsam beds must be really comfortable. A man named Buster Bird said this about them, “You can talk about your waterbeds or any of these fancy mattresses that you get today, but if you haven’t slept on a balsam bough bed, you don’t know what you’ve missed!”

The Balsam bed isn’t the only thing you can make with Balsam branches and needles.

The needles from Balsam trees glide right off the branch. They are used as stuffing for Balsam Pillows. Balsam Pillows are a popular souvenir item that have been around for years. A souvenir is an item you can buy to help you remember a place you’ve visited. Souvenir balsam bags can be found in almost any town store in the Adirondacks. They come in lots of different sizes and designs. People often place them around their house to make it smell good! 

In the past, many Adirondack communities would host a Balsam Bee. It’s an event where people would come together to make balsam pillows. 

Groups of people would gather to make the pillows. Some people took the Balsam needles off the branches. Others stuffed the balsam needles into the pillows and sewed them up. Then, the pillows were sold to help raise money for Adirondack communities as a fundraiser. 

Do you see why Balsam trees are so special? They’re a pretty cool tree.  I’m sure you wouldn’t have to go far to find one! Head over to our podcast homepage at theadkx.org to see how you can find a balsam tree near you!

[Outro] Thank you for joining us for an episode of ADKX-tra Credit. This podcast is brought to you by Adirondack Experience, the museum on Blue Mountain Lake. Our mission is to expand understanding of Adirondack history and the relationship between people and the Adirondack wilderness, fostering informed choices for the future.

Listen in again two weeks from now when we will have a brand new episode. In the meantime, if you want to learn more fun Adirondack history visit our website theadkx.org