Christmas tree types compared
Which tree you can get depends a lot on where you live. Farms grow what thrives in their climate. Of the 1558 farms in our directory, 698 list the species they grow. These come up most often:
- Fraser fir: 404 farms
- Douglas fir: 251 farms
- White pine: 219 farms
- Blue spruce: 205 farms
- Canaan fir: 178 farms
- Balsam fir: 162 farms
- Concolor fir: 148 farms
- Norway spruce: 135 farms
Firs
- Fraser fir: dark green needles with a silvery underside, stiff branches, good needle retention. The standard tree in the East and South. Farms with Fraser fir.
- Douglas fir: soft needles, sweet scent, full shape. Most common in the West. Branches are softer, so go easy on heavy ornaments. Farms with Douglas fir.
- Balsam fir and Canaan fir: strong classic Christmas scent. Canaan fir looks a lot like Fraser and grows in more places.
- Concolor fir: long, bluish needles with a light citrus smell.
- Noble fir and Nordmann fir: sturdy, tiered branches and good needle retention, usually at the higher end of the price range.
Spruces
Blue spruce and Norway spruce have a classic cone shape and strong branches, but sharp needles. They tend to drop needles sooner indoors than firs, so keep them well watered.
Pines and cypresses
White pine has long, soft needles and little scent, and its branches suit light ornaments. Scotch pine is sturdy and holds its needles well. In the South, many farms grow Leyland cypress, Carolina Sapphire and Virginia pine, which handle the warm climate.
Each farm page in our directory lists the species that farm reports. Stock changes from year to year, so ask the farm if you have your heart set on one kind.