Balm of Gilead

Balm of Gilead was a rare perfume used medicinally, that was mentioned in the Bible, and named for the region of Gilead where it was produced. The expression stems from William Tyndale's language in the King James Bible of 1611, and has come to signify a universal cure in figurative speech. The tree or shrub producing the balm is commonly identified as Commiphora gileadensis, which is the plant that bleeds the Balsam of Mecca. Some botanical scholars have concluded that the actual source was an unrelated plant, a Terebinth tree in the genus Pistacia.

Populus × jackii (balm-of-Gilead) is the hybrid between balsam poplar, Populus balsamifera, and the eastern cottonwood, Populus deltoides, occurring occasionally where the two parental species' ranges overlap. It is sometimes called a cottonwood. This hybrid is also sometimes planted as a shade tree, and occasionally escapes from cultivation. This hybrid is also known by the synonyms Populus × andrewsii Sargent, P. × bernardii Boivin, Populus candicans W. Aiton, P. × dutillyi Lepage, P. × generosa Henry, P. × gileadensis Rouleau, and P. manitobensis Dode.