Balsam Fir: Lung Support, Wound Healing, and the Medicine Right Outside Your Door with Erica Macrum

Balsam Fir: Lung Support, Wound Healing, and the Medicine Right Outside Your Door with Erica Macrum

From Herbs with Rosalee by Rosalee de la Forêt

June 10, 2026 · 42 min · Episode 228

About this episode

Erica Macrum shares her insights on balsam fir and its healing properties through personal experience and observation.

Could the tree outside your window become one of your greatest herbal teachers? Living at the edge of the boreal forest, Erica Macrum is surrounded by balsam fir ( Abies balsamea ), and over the years this fragrant conifer has become one of her closest plant allies. But rather than relying on books, Erica has learned much of what she knows about balsam fir through observation, experimentation, and simply spending time with the tree itself. In this episode, Erica shares her favorite ways to work with balsam fir's resin, needles, and bark, as well as the unexpected lessons she's gathered from years of companionship with this remarkable tree. Together, we explore its gifts for healing, the role of curiosity in herbal practice, and the wisdom that can emerge when we spend time getting to know the plants growing around us. Erica also shared her recipe for Spring Forest Herbal Salt, a delicious way to add a taste of the forest to your own kitchen. Be sure to download your copy here ! By the end of this episode, you’ll know: ► How balsam fir resin naturally protects the tree—and how you can harness that healing power ► The surprising differences between working with the resin, bark, and…

People in this episode

Host: Rosalee de la Forêt

Guest: Erica Macrum

Topics covered

  • herbal medicine
  • balsam fir
  • lung support
  • wound healing
  • plant observation
  • herbal learning
  • nature connection

Keywords

  • balsam fir
  • herbal medicine
  • lung support
  • wound healing
  • plant allies
  • herbal learning
  • nature

Mentioned in this episode

Products: balsam fir, Abies balsamea

Books & works: Spring Forest Herbal Salt

Places: boreal forest

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