Description

Batch: PAF-001 (June, 2021)

This batch was made from sustainably-harvested Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) and Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) branches; steam-distilled together. It has a kind of odd woodsy aroma that takes on an entirely new character than its parent species’ aromas;  green, slightly-sour pine middle notes with spicy camphor are most prevalent with very subtle top notes of melon.

East/West: Blue Spruce is native to the Rocky Mountains (mostly Colorado –> North). Fraser Fir is closely related to Balsam Fir but is a unique species that diverged during/after the last ice age on isolated, high-elevation Southern Appalachian (NC/VA/TN) peaks. Both of these native North American species’ essential oils are rare on the market.

Feminine/Masculine: Fraser Fir has a folk name; She Balsam. It has long been associated with feminine energy by Native Americans and European settlers. Fraser Fir’s native habitat is the endangered high-elevation Spruce-Fir Forest biome where it grows beside the He Balsam, Red Spruce (Picea rubens). Spruce needles are prickly on peg-like projections (stubble, phallice) and thought to boost masculine energy, while Fir needles are smooth-tipped and softer and the bark has “breast-like” blisters of sap that can be “milked”.

We would love to make a He Balsam/She Balsam co-distill but Red Spruce is severely endangered by a few centuries of logging and habitat destruction. Fraser Fir would be in the same state (wild populations are) but it just so happens to be the nation’s favorite Christmas Tree; so is cultivated on an industrial level. That said, efforts are underway to preserve and re-establish former Spruce-Fir forests. While this batch is made with Blue Spruce instead of Red Spruce, it still embodies the masculine; perhaps more so as Blue Spruce oil is specifically thought to help boost testosterone production.*

The Blue Spruce was a small unwanted (and too much shade) landscape tree at a no-spray, high-elevation forest home in Wolf Laurel, NC. It was too small for a full batch.

The Fraser Fir was harvested from a section of trees on an Avery County, NC Christmas Tree farm at 4000′ elevation that has not been sprayed or maintained in about 15 years. This is the same source we use for all of our Fraser Fir batches. The trees are too large and shaggy to sell as Christmas Trees and will (unfortunately) eventually be cleared and replaced. Fortunately, some of these beautiful trees will be enjoyed by you (in the form of essential oil) for months or years to come!

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.