How to Buy the Right Christmas Tree for Your Family

For a lot of families, this coming weekend is when a Christmas tree is picked out and put up, but unless you’ve been buying the same tree every year for several years, you might not be sure which would be the best pick. 

I’m a huge fan of the Frasier Fir.  I love the big needles and the way it smells.  But the Frasier might not be the right tree for your family. These are some of the popular Christmas trees- take a peek and write down the ones you think would work for your family and then take that list with you when you go tree shopping.  It’ll definitely make the selection process so much easier.

Fraser Fir (my favorite) - The tree has really good needle retention (that means you won't find as many all over your floor) along with a nice scent.

Douglas Fir- Douglas fir grows cone-shaped naturally, has 1 to 1-1/2 inch needles and they have a sweet scent when crushed.

Balsam Fir - Balsam fir is a beautiful tree with short, flat, long-lasting, aromatic needles.

Colorado Blue Spruce – This tree has dark green to powdery blue needles, 1 to 3 inches long. Colorado blue spruce is very often sold "living" and with an entire root ball so that it can be planted after the holidays, so if you’re looking for a Christmas tree you can replant, this would be the one.

Scotch Pine- Scotch pine tree has stiff branches, two bundled dark green needles 1 to 3 inches long. The aroma lasts a long time and lingers through the entire season. is long-lasting and lingers through the entire season. Scotch pine does not drop needles when it's dry.

Eastern Red Cedar- Very aromatic needles are a dark, shiny, green color and sharp and prickly to the touch.

White Spruce- White spruce has green to bluish green needles but crushed needles have an unpleasant odor. Another problem with the spruce is it has poor needle retention.

Eastern White Pine- The tree retains needles throughout the holiday season but has little or no fragrance and not a good tree for heavy ornaments. If you’re allergic to fragrant trees, this one is for you.

White Fir or Concolor Fir- White fir is one of the longest-needled firs and is sometimes mistaken for a pine. Concolor fir has blue-green needles that are 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long. The fir has a nice shape with a pleasing aroma and good needle retention.

Virginia Pine- Virginia pine tolerates warmer temperatures. The foliage is dark green to gray in color and the limbs are stout with woody branch.