Grand Fir
Latin name: Abies grandis
SENĆOŦEN name: SḰEM͸EḴS
Diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ name: cabsapt
Photo credits: Owen Johnson
Description: Grand Fir is a towering evergreen conifer that can reach heights of up to 80 metres. It features horizontal branches and thick, ridged gray-brown bark. The grooved needles lie flat along the branches and measure 3–4 cm in length, each displaying two distinct whitish lines on the underside. Seed cones, ranging from 5 to 10 cm long, stand upright near the top of the canopy.
Harvest and Sustainability: Grand Fir generally grows in drier climates, often beneath Douglas-fir–dominated forests. Its thin bark makes it particularly vulnerable to wildfires.
Uses: The bark of the Grand Fir has long been used in traditional medicine to treat colds, stomach ailments, ulcers, and even tuberculosis. Its liquid pitch, collected from bark blisters, is used to reduce fevers and purify the blood. A small amount of pitch combined with dried rose petals can be steeped into a hot tea and consumed daily for about a month. Beyond medicinal use, the pitch also serves as a natural finish for paddles.
In spring, the young fir tips are gathered and brewed into tea to treat colds—a practice common among the Lushootseed people. Among the Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw, Grand Fir branches are used in ceremonial regalia, including headdresses and costumes, and play a role in purification rites.
The Ditidaht Nation uses the boughs as natural air fresheners, incense, and to create purifying smoke believed to ward off illness. Meanwhile, the Hesquiat mix pitch from young Grand Fir trees with oil and apply it to the scalp to help prevent balding.
