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Blue Spruce (Picea pungens glauca)
One of the most attractive of all the Christmas trees, with short but quite sharp dusty blue needles. It has a good natural shape, but like the Norway spruce and Omorika, needs to be fresh cut and kept well watered. It is grown throughout Europe, though particularly in Germany where it has enjoyed great popularity.
Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menzeisii)
The Douglas fir has been the major Christmas tree species used in the Pacific Northwest since the 1920's. It is very affordable, bushy tree, but on the other hand loses the needles faster than other species. The branches are spreading to drooping, the buds sharply. The needles are dark green or blue green, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, soft to the touch and radiate out in all directions from the branch. They have a sweet fragrance when crushed.
Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri)
The species is sometimes called Southern balsam or Southern balsam fir. Fraser fir is a uniformly pyramid-shaped tree which reaches a maximum height of about 80 feet and a diameter of 1-1.5 feet. Strong branches are turned slightly upward which gives the tree a compact appearance. The Fraser fir hardly loses its needles and therefor looks fresh throughout the Christmas season.
Noble Fir (Abies procera)
Long considered an excellent Christmas tree because of its beauty, stiff branches and long keepability. Growing wild, these trees can grow to over 60 meters in height. It is these mature trees that provide the best colour foliage for wreaths, door swags, garland and other Christmas decorations. The needles are bluish green but with a silver appearance due to the 2 white rows of stomata on the underside. Whilst not being the easiest of trees to grow to an ideal shape, they are nonetheless very popular, particularly in Ireland where it finds the moist areas of deep, rich soil to it's liking.
Nordman's Fir (Abies nordmanniana)
The Nordmann (also known as the Caucasian fir) has gained considerably in popularity as a Christmas tree, thanks mainly to it's excellent needle holding, glossy deep green foliage and very attractive shape. The needles, which point forward and grow round the branches are soft and thick with white lines on the underside. The bark is smooth and gray. This species has benefited greatly from extensive research into ideal seed provenance and growing methods, which has brought about a very good quality, high value tree.
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
As a Christmas tree Scotch pine is probably the most commonly used species in the United States. As a Christmas tree Scotch pine is known for its excellent needle retention and good keepability. It resists drying and if permitted to become dry does not drop its needles. When displayed in a water filled container it will remain fresh for the normal 3 to 4 week Christmas season. Like all natural trees it is readily recyclable and has many different uses following the Christmas holidays.
Almost every tree listed below is available in the United States. See the National Christmas Tree Association's web site to find a grower.
Afghan Pine • Arizona Cypress • Austrian Pine • Balsam Fir • Belgian Pine • Bishop Pine • Black Hills Spruce • Blue Cedar • Blue Pyramid • Blue Spruce • Bornmueller Fir • Canaan Fir • Carolina Greenspire • Carolina Sapphire • Clemson Greenspire • Colorado Blue Spruce • Colorado Spruce • Concolor Fir • Corkbark Fir • Deodora Cedar • Douglas Fir • E. Anglien Pine • Eldarica Pine • Fralsam • Fraser Fir • French Pine • Grand Fir • Incense Cedar • Korean Fir • Lk. Superior Blue Pine • Loblolly Pine • Monterey Pine • Noble Fir • Nordman Fir • Norway Pine • Norway Spruce • Red Cedar • Red Fir • Red Pine • Sand Pine • Scotch Pine • Sequoia Redwood • Serbian Spruce • Shasta Fir • Sierra Redwood • Silver Tip • Spruce Pine • Sugar Pine • Turkish Fir • Viking Pine • Virginia Pine • White Fir • White Pine • White Spruce
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