Alberta Native Plant Council

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Feature Plant

The sweet smell of spring...

Populus balsamifera

A common tree that occurs throughout Alberta, the smell of balsam poplar is a sure sign of spring. Shortly after flowering, the leaves emerge coated with a sticky sweet-smelling resin that also coats the scales of the leaf buds (and sticks to cars parked below). In riverine forests, where the trees are large and numerous that wonderful smell pervades the atmosphere almost as strongly as the smell of wolf willow that will soon follow. You might have to risk getting a sticky nose to fully appreciate it, if there's only one tree. My advice: park your car somewhere else and go for a walk in the woods!

Another name for the tree is Balm of Gilead, a name that implies calming medicinal properties. In many places, the local name is “bamagila” or just “bam”, both contractions of Balm of Gilead. The resin, and also the inner bark in spring, is traditionally used by indiginous people for a variety of purposes (from sore skin, sore throat, and lung ailments to diabetes) as a lotion dissolved in oil, as a tea, or in tincture. While citing some of these uses, Kershaw warns that some sources say it's mildly poisonous. Other books on edible wild plants, apart from herbalist publications, do not mention it.

Photo and text by Jim Posey

Kershaw, Linda, “Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies”, Lone Pine Publishing, 2000

News

Plant Happenings - May 2013

Click here to download the latest Plant Happenings, a list of plant related events and publications, etc.

News Added: 2013-05-14

ANPC's Upcoming 2013 Field Trips

For details on ANPC's upcoming field trips, click here . Associated documents, include the Field Guide to the Whitehorse Wildland volunteer opportunity and further details of the Northern Plant & Ecology 2013 Field Trips

News Added: 2013-05-03

News Release - Adopt-a-Plant Alberta now part of ANPC

Adopt-a-Plant Alberta (APA) has been collapsed and is now part of the RARE PLANT COMMITTEE of the Alberta Native Plant Council (ANPC). Click here to view the complete news release.

News Added: 2013-02-08

ANPC Board Positions Open for Nominations

Click here to review the ANPC Board of Directors open for nomination at the upcoming AGM, to be held in Olds, AB on Saturday April 13, 2013.

News Added: 2013-01-24

Plant Happenings - January 2013

For the latest Plant Happenings, click here.

News Added: 2013-01-24

Revised Carex Photo Supplement

Pat Marlowe has a revised version of Part II of the Photo Supplement to Carex Establishment on Reclaimed Oil Sands Landscapes. This revised version corrects the habitat description for Carex oligosperma and some spelling errors. It can be found here .

News Added: 2012-12-04

Plant Happenings - June 2012

For the latest plant related workshops, field trips, opportunities and links of interest, click here.

News Added: 2012-06-09

ANPC Guidelines for Rare Vascular Plant Surveys in Alberta - 2012 Update

The ANPC has updated guidelines for rare plant surveys. These updated guidelines are specific for vascular plants and supplement the original guidelines. To download the updated guidelines click here. The original guidelines are still available under the Publications list on this website. The ANPC has also compiled a Recommended Documents for Botanical Surveys in Areas of Proposed Disturbance, to provide guidance for botanical elements other than vascular plants, such as bryophytes, lichens and rare ecological communities. This document can be found under our Publications

News Added: 2012-05-23

Plant Happenings - May 2012

For a listing of native plant related events, links and opportunities, click here.

News Added: 2012-05-11

ANPC 2012 Workshop - FINAL PROGRAM - Native Plants in Urban Environments

This year, the ANPC's annual workshop focuses on the use of native plants in urban environments. To download the FINAL PROGRAM, click here. To download the REGISTRATION FORM, click here. The AGM will be held in conjunction with the workshop

News Added: 2012-04-17

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Recipient of a 2010 Emerald Award!
The ANPC was recognized for its efforts in promoting knowledge of Alberta's native plants; conserving Alberta's native plant species and their habitats; and preserving plant species and habitat for the enjoyment of present and future generations.