Use By Humans
Balsam poplars are cultivated mainly in parks for their ornamental, light-coloured bark and pleasant scent in spring. Western balsam poplar is also planted as a timber crop. The wood is soft, very light in weight, but strong for its weight, coarse and fibrous, does not polish or plane easily, and is used for pallet boxes and other similar rough uses.
Several hybrids between balsam poplars (particularly western balsam poplar) and the cottonwoods have also been developed for lumber production or for use as shade trees. These hybrids are selected for exceptionally fast growth and disease resistance.
Poplars are also of potential use for biofuels because of their fast growth. Researchers are aiming to use genetic techniques to make poplars grow fatter, with a smaller canopy, so that more trees can be grown more quickly in a small space, and to make the plants contain a higher proportion of cellulose to lignin. The increased cellulose content would make them easier to convert into sugars and ethanol for biofuel or for pulp in paper mills.
The buds of various balsam poplars have long been used to make Balm of Gilead, an ointment for both human and animal use.
Read more about this topic: Populus Sect. Tacamahaca
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