4 Popular Varieties of Christmas Trees

Bringing home an evergreen tree and decorating it has been a long time tradition for most Christians around the world.  This tradition thrives in our area with the abundance of tree farms that are in the Lehigh Valley and Poconos.  So, before you go out and select your tree, it may benefit you to understand some of the varieties that are available at most farms in the Lehigh Valley.  

Blue Spruce

 The Blue Spruce grows naturally in the central portion of the Rocky Mountains from southern United States, north into Canada.  Its needles are a waxy gray-green color and can be as long as one inch.  The Blue Spruce is one of the most popular evergreens.   Its mature growth can be between 50-75′ high;  with a 10′-20′ spread in the landscape, but up to 135′ and 35′ spread naturally in the forests.  Its sturdy branching and good needle retention make it a desirable Christmas tree, while its excellent form and outstanding color make it an excellent ornamental evergreen.

Concolor Fir

The concolor fir, or also known as the white fir, grows naturally throughout the mountainous areas of western United States, from the central Rocky Mountains in Colorado and New Mexico and in Sierra Nevada Mountain range from southern Oregon into Mexico.  Its needles are a silvery blue color and can be about two tot here inches long.  Its soft, silvery-blue foliage has flattened needles from one to three inches in length.  The Concolor Fir matures at 50′, 20′ spread in the home landscape.  But can get much larger naturally.  Its outstanding color and excellent needle retention make it an increasingly popular Christmas tree.

Douglas Fir

 The Douglas Fir grows natural throughout western North America from the mountains of Mexico, north, deep into British Columbia.  Found in the central Rockies, the hardy “blue” strain is widely used as a Christmas tree.  The needles are blue green in color and are about about one inch in length.   The Douglas Fir matures to about 40′-70′, 12′-20′ spread in the home landscape, over 100′ in its natural setting.  Its sturdy branching and outstanding needle retention make this evergreen a holiday favorite.

Fraser Fir

The Fraser Fir is native to the Great Smoky Mountains of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee, and is closely related to its northern counterpart, the Balsam Fir.  The needles are emerald-green in color silvery undersides and are about three-quarters of an inch in length.  The Fraser Fir matures to about 30’- 50’ high, 20’ wide when used in the landscape but can grow to about 80’ high, 25’ wide high in its natural environment.   Its sturdy branching, and outstanding needle retention make it an increasingly favorite tree for the holidays.