balsam

noun

• 1an aromatic resinous substance, such as balm, exuded by various trees and shrubs and used as a base for certain fragrances and medical and cosmetic preparations.
• a tree or shrub that yields balsam.

• 2a herbaceous plant cultivated for its flowers, which are typically pink or purple and carried high on the stem.

  • Genus Impatiens, family Balsaminaceae: several species, including garden balsam (I. balsamina) and Himalayan balsam (I. glandulifera), which is naturalized in Europe and North America, sometimes to the detriment of the native flora