Choosing Your Perfect Christmas Tree
NOBLE FIR
Noble fir Christmas trees have a beautiful, almost spruce like appearance with soft blue-green needles on evenly spaced strong branches that are perfect for heavy ornaments. The needles turn upward, exposing the lower branches. Known for its beauty and “traditional” Christmas scent, the noble fir is durable, and its stiff branches make it a good tree for heavy ornaments, as well as providing excellent greenery for wreaths and garland.
In the wild, the trees are tall, beautifully symmetrical and grow to over 200 feet in height.
The needles are roughly 4-sided (similar to spruce), over 1 inch long, bluish-green but appearing silver because of 2 white rows of stomata on the underside and 1-2 rows on the upper surface. The needles are generally twisted upward so that the lower surfaces of branches are exposed.
Noble fir Christmas trees are grown only in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Oregon where they are a high elevation tree in their native environments.
FRASER FIR
The Fraser fir branches turn slightly upward. They have good form and needle-retention. They are dark blue-green in color. They have a pleasant scent and excellent shipping characteristics as well. Fraser fir is a uniformly pyramid-shaped tree which reaches a maximum height of about 80 feet and a diameter of 1–1 ½ feet. Strong branches are turned slightly upward which gives the tree a compact appearance.
Needles are flattened, dark-green with a medial groove on the upper side and two broad silvery-white bands on the lower surface. These bands consist of several rows of stomata (pores). Needles are ½–1 inch long, have a broad circular base, and are usually dark green on the upper surface and lighter on the lower surface.
NORDMANN FIR
Nordmann fir is a new type of Christmas tree in the U.S., but has been used for many years in Europe, and is one of the most commonly grown Christmas tree species in Germany and Norway. Closely related to Turkish fir, Nordmann fir produce absolutely beautiful long-lasting Christmas trees.
Nordmann fir have symmetrically arranged branches. The short, dark-green needles are soft and flattened on the twig, with a waxy cuticle that gives the tree its shiny appearance and helps prevent drying. With very little fragrance, Nordmann fir is the best Christmas tree for anyone with allergies. With superb needle retention, Nordmann fir have the distinctive quality of shedding the fewest, if any, needles.
DOUGLAS FIR
Douglas firs are noted for their dense full bushy shape and fine soft green needles. They have a distinctive scent, and that fragrance seems to last through the entire Christmas season. With a classic uniform Christmas tree shape.
The soft needles are dark green and are approximately 1–1 ½ inches in length. The Douglas fir needles radiate in all directions from the branch. When crushed, these needles have a sweet fragrance. They are one of the top major Christmas tree species in the U.S.
GRAND FIR
The Grand fir scent really is incredible! It has a powerful citrus-like evergreen aroma and is, by far, the most fragrant Christmas tree.
The grand fir is one of the tallest firs, reaching heights of 300 feet. It is easily distinguished from other Pacific Northwest firs by its sprays of lustrous needles in two distinct rows. They are usually horizontally spread so that both the upper and lower sides of the branches are clearly visible. The needles are 1–1 ½ inches long with glossy dark green tops and two highly visible white lines of stomata on the undersides.
