Your guide to the best Christmas trees this season

Finding the best Christmas tree can be the highlight of your holiday season. The process of deciding what kind of tree can be a difficult one. With so many different types of spruces, pines, and firs it can be hard to chose between all these great choices.   

Balsam Fir

Balsam fir is a tall tree with short needles and has a heavy “Christmas” scent. This tree is most commonly used for wreaths, patio pots, and grave blankets, but balsam as a tree is still beautiful.

These firs hold their needles for a long time and are sure to last well past Christmas if given proper care. These flat, short needled trees are naturally appealing with a great shape and are a great choice for your holidays. The average price for this fir range from $35-50 on a farm and $30-50 on a pop up tree lot.

Blue Spruce

Blue Spruce is a tall, hardy tree with picky needles and a blue silver tint. This spruce is mainly used for landscaping but can be enjoyed as a beautiful Christmas tree as well. With this being a very hardy tree it has a very sturdy branch to hold as many decorations you may have. The unique blue coloration to this tree also sets this apart from the others.

The only drawback to this tree is it’s sharp needles that can cut you and sometimes leave a rash. If you have a cat that gets into your tree or young kids you don’t want playing with the tree, this may be the tree for you. The tree being so sharp will discourage pets and children from playing with the tree. The average price for this spruce is roughly $70 on a farm and about $80 on a Christmas tree lot.

Fraser Fir

Fraser fir is a strong, soft short-needled tree that screams Christmas with its scent with a typical Christmas tree shape. This is another hardy tree that’s great for holding all types of decorations. From your heavy glass ornaments from places you’ve visited to strings of  popcorn, this tree can hold it all. This fir, like most firs have a soft short needle so this tree will not prick you as you
try to decorate it. This fir is in high demand around the holiday season and they usually go for about $55 on a farm and $50-60 on Christmas tree lot.

Noble Fir

Noble Fir is a dark green color, has a rich scent and strong branches. This Oregon-based tree might be the tree for you.

This tree originally was used for lumber and it’s light wood made its debut on the Christmas tree market just after WWII.

This tree is known for its deep green color and being extremely full. These trees have short, soft needles and they are one of the best trees to keep their needles.

This Noble Fir , very much like its name, looks very noble, elegant, and is a full tree with no gaps.

One perk of this tree is how symmetrical the tree is and it’s one of the best on the market, but it is also one of the hardest to grow, so trees are limited. This tree is native and only grows in the mountains of Oregon, so the tree lot prices are roughly $125.

Scotch Pine

Scotch Pine is one of the most common Christmas trees throughout the U.S. This pine, like most pines, is long-needled but the Scotch Pine unlike the white pine have very sturdy branches.

This traditional Christmas tree has a subtle scent of Christmas season to it with great needle retention, which goes against its pine heritage. On a farm, this tree will run about $35 while on a tree lot you may pay about $43.

To make sure that you get the most out of your tree, make sure to give the tree a half-inch fresh cut before you put the tree into your stand. Whether they give you a fresh cut at the farm or the tree lot, the tree naturally tries to heal itself by producing sap onto the effected area.

This process happens quickly, so be sure to cut near the bottom and drop it into fresh water because only the outside ring of the tree absorbs water.

Finding the perfect tree can be hard enough, but taking the simple steps of fresh cut and fresh water can make your tree last long after Christmas