Austrian Pine
Pinus nigra – dark green needles, 4 to 6 inches long; retains needles well; moderate fragrance.
Balsam Fir
Abies balsamea – ¾ to 1-½ inch short, flat, long-lasting needles that are rounded at the tip; nice, dark green color with silvery cast and fragrant. Named for the balsam or resin found in blisters on bark. Resin is used to make microscope slides and was sold like chewing gum; used to treat wounds in Civil War.
Blue Spruce
Picea pungens – dark green to powdery blue; very stiff needles, ¾ to 1-½ inches long; good form; will drop needles in a warm room; symmetrical; but is best among species for needle retention; branches are stiff and will support many heavy decorations.
Canaan Fir
Abies balsamea var phanerolepis — uniform, short ascending branches form a tightly pyramidal to conical formal habit; ¾ to 1-½ -inch long, flat needles are lustrous dark green above with white stomatic bands below; dark violet cones when young, turn gray-brown at maturity
Concolor Fir
Abies concolor – blue-green needles are 1 to 1-½ inches long and grow in rows; nice shape and good aroma, a citrus scent; good needle retention.
Douglas Fir
Pseudotsuga menziesii – good fragrance; holds blue to dark green; 1 to 1-½ inch needles; needles have one of the best aromas among Christmas trees when crushed. Named after David Douglas who studied the tree in the 1800s; good conical shape; can live for a thousand years.
Fraser Fir
Abies fraseri – dark green, flattened needles; ½ to 1 inch long; good needle retention; nice scent; pyramid-shaped strong branches that turn upward
Grand Fir
Adies grandis – shiny, dark green needles about 1 to 1-½ inches long; when crushed, the needles give off a citrusy smell.
Nordmann Fir
Abies nordmannia – dark green, flattened needles, shiny, silvery-blue below, ¾ to 1-½ inches long.
Norway Spruce
Picea abies – needles ½ to 1 inch long and shiny, dark green; needle retention is poor without proper care; strong fragrance; nice conical shape.
Scotch Pine
Pinus sylvestris – most common Christmas tree in the US; stiff branches; stiff, dark green needles that are 1 inch long; holds needles for 4 weeks; needles will stay on even when dry; has open appearance and more room for ornaments; keeps aroma throughout the season.
Serbian Spruce
Picea omorika — ½ to 1 inch long, flat needles are lustrous dark green above, distinct silvery stomatal bands beneath; short ascending or drooping branches form a narrow, very graceful, spire-like habit
Turkish Fir
Abies bornmuelleriana — needles are short, dark green, soft, waxy, and and radiate out from the stem.
Note to Growers: Turkish firs work in some soils, but they won’t be a perfect fit for every site. Read more about Planting Turkish Furs.
White Pine
Pinus strobus – soft, blue-green needles, 2 to 5 inches long in bundles of five; retains needles throughout the holiday season; very full appearance; little or no fragrance; causes fewer allergic reactions compared to more fragrant trees.
White Spruce
Picea glauca – short, stiff needles are ½ – ¾ inches long and have a blunt tip; medium-sized conifer found in northeastern United States and throughout Canada; tree has a cone-shaped crown, and when grown in the open develops a conical crown that extends nearly to the ground.