Balsam is a thick, sticky, fragrant resin that oozes from certain trees when their bark is cut or damaged. Think of it as the tree's natural bandage: when a balsam fir or similar tree gets wounded, this gooey substance seeps out and hardens over the injury, protecting it from insects and disease.

People have valued balsam for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used it in mummification. For centuries, healers used balsam in medicines and ointments because of its pleasant smell and supposed healing properties. The Balm of Gilead, mentioned in old songs and stories, was a famous balsam prized in biblical times.

Today, balsam still appears in some cough medicines, soaps, and candles, valued for its clean, piney fragrance. If you've ever decorated with fresh evergreen branches during winter holidays, you've probably smelled balsam: that distinctive, crisp forest scent that makes you think of cold air and pine trees.

The word can also refer to the trees themselves that produce this resin, like the balsam fir common in northern forests. Some garden plants with fragrant flowers, like Impatiens balsamina, are also called balsams, though they're not related to the resinous trees.