1. A resin exuded by several tree species that is used as a base for medicinal preparations and perfumes.

2. (Himalayan balsam) A fast-growing annual herb (Impatiens glandulifera, family Balsaminaceae), up to 3 m tall, that grows by riverbanks and on waste ground. In some places it is an invasive weed.

3. (balsam poplar) A North American tree (Populus balsamifera, family Salicaceae) related to the cottonwoods that has traditional medical uses and yields a light wood used in construction and for pulping.