It's Christmas Tree Time!

Have a ton of questions about the different types of Christmas trees that are available and how to care for your tree when you get it home? Check out this list of favourite tree types and care to make the best choice for your home.

The earliest choice for Christmas trees was the northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) which is not a true cedar at all. Instead, we commonly call it an arborvitae as it has overlapping scales and not needles. In the late 1800s, balsam fir (Abies balsamea) became popular as a Christmas tree. In the 1930s, balsam fir gave way to the Scotch pine (Pinus strobus), native to Europe and Asia. Douglas fir remains one of the most popular choices today along with a number of other trees.

Douglas Fir
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesi) has become the most popular Christmas tree and has many good characteristics when used as a Christmas tree. The needles are soft and retained for weeks even in warm rooms. It also has a superior symmetrical form and responds well to shearing in order to create a more compact and bushy appearance. Douglas firs don't retain needles as well as other species, so it's important to keep them well watered.

Noble Fir

(Abies procera) Has the best needle retention of all of the Christmas trees. It stays fresh longer in the home because of its ability to retain water and is easy to decorate because of the spacing between the branches. The needles are generally twisted upward so that the lower surface of branches are exposed.

Fraser Fir

Fraser fir (Abies fraserii) 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. Needles are flattened, dark-green and two broad silvery-white bands on the lower surface.It has long lasting aroma, soft to touch needles and excellent needle retention and is easier to decorate than some trees due to it's firm branches.

Norway Spruce
This is the 'original' Christmas Tree and for some people the only tree. It tends to lose its needles quite easily. The Norway Spruce is a beautiful tree but does not hold its needles well, and should be purchased just a week or so before December 25th. Fresh quality trees produce an excellent shape, ideal for decoration and have a lovely pine fragrance.

Scotch Pine

Colour may vary from bright green to dark green ad even a blue green colour. The branches are strong so excellent for hanging decorations and the needles do not drop very much. This tree will stay fresh for a long time and has a nice conical shape.

Living Trees

Living Christmas trees are used indoors for decoration and then planted outdoors in the landscape. It is now popular to consider buying a living tree to be used for Christmas instead of a cut tree, so that the money spent will be an investment in the landscape.

Selecting and Caring for Your Tree

The most important characteristics for choosing a Christmas tree are shape, color, branch distribution and needle retention. The first three are easily evaluated at the lot and are simply a matter of choice. Needle retention, however will depend on when the tree was cut and the conditions of storage or transport before arriving at the lot. In general, you can assume that pines hold their needles longest, next the firs and last the spruces. 

No matter which type of Christmas tree is chosen, the best advice is to pick one which has recently been cut. A popular trend today is to go to a U-cut or Gardencentre. This is one way to make sure that the tree is fresh; these trees can be expected to last several weeks longer than trees purchased off of lots. Lot trees may present a wider selection than you might have at a local tree farm. Most Christmas trees have been cut within the week of their arrival to the lot. To check for freshness, look for a firm tree and bounce the trunk on the ground. If only a few needles drop, then you can assume that it is relatively fresh.

If you can bend it without snapping it in half and the needles cannot be easily pulled from their stem, then the trees is in good shape. Also look for resin at the base of the stump. A fresh, sticky flow will indicate that the tree has recently been cut.

Keep plenty of water in the stand at all times. During the first week, the tree may take up a gallon of water or more. Replenish this every evening as part of a ritual before going to bed. If the tree happens to run out of water even once, re-cut the base and start all over. To further guard against moisture loss, keep the tree away from air supplies and windows with full sun exposures to reduce the drying effects.

After Christmas, the question always arises as to how to dispose of the tree. In the past, many spent holiday trees ended up on the curb to be picked up by the sanitation department. Thousands of trees are ultimately deposited in the landfill. You may consider other alternatives, including reusing the tree or recycling it back into the landscape.

Happy Holiday tree hunting!