Balsam

Balsam, also referred to as jewelweed, was a group of flowering plants that blossomed in high elevations, often shedding their colorful petals to be carried by wind for miles.

Availability
Balsam was known to grow in the higher areas of the Western Heartlands, where it was used by locals as a curative herb and to prepare balsam ointments.

Balsam was also known to grow in the colder areas of the Moonsea region. Local sages thought that the presence of fiddlehead ferns, jewelweed, and jimsonweed was a sign of unnatural magic, especially when found not in their natural habitat.

Uses
Balsam ointment was used to clean wounds. Partially burned balsam leaves had a sweet and smoky fragrance. They were ground into ash and combined with special salts to stabilize the mix and brew it into potions of greater healing.

Notable Users

 * Auntie Ethel: a hag disguised as a kind old herbalist lady who lived in the Western Heartlands circa 1492 DR.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Pools of Darkness
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate III