by Margareth Montenegro
Each Christmas season, millions of trees both artificial and natural are purchased across the nation. Since having a Christmas tree is a holiday tradition, many families go out of their way to tree farms, lots, Internet and retail stores in search for the tree of their dreams. Everyone is looking for the perfectly shaped, fullest and most beautiful Christmas tree, but don't know how to go about it.
Many families are attracted to the tradition of celebrating Christmas with a real tree in their home. Others are attracted to the scent of pine filling the air in a room. Whatever the reasons may be for getting a real Christmas tree, there are still questions many people ask themselves when seeking the Christmas tree that will be the talk of the family for years.
The first thing to do when trying to look for the right Christmas tree is to think about the space you will put it in. You don't want the tree to be too large for the space. Also, you don't want direct heat pointing at the tree because heat can create a fire hazard, or dry it out and kill the tree sooner than expected. After you've decided on a space for your tree, the next thing to ask yourself what tree species you want.
A lot of people think all Christmas trees are the same. This isn't the case - the kind of tree you decide upon depends on factors such as what shade of green you want your tree to be, how thick you want it, and how strong the fragrance should be. The most common trees used during the Christmas holidays come from evergreen species, which include pines, firs, and spruces. Here's a list of the popular trees sold throughout the United States.
Balsam Firs have needles ¾ inches to 1 ½ inches long, and have flat, long lasting needles that are rounded at the tip; they are a nice, dark green color with a silvery cast. As a Christmas tree, people enjoy their dark-green appearance, long-lasting needles and attractive form. They also retain their pleasing fragrance.
Douglas Firs have a good fragrance. They are a blueish to dark green color with 1 inch to 1-½ inches needles that are soft to the touch and radiate out through the branches. Douglas fir needles give off one of the best aromas when crushed. The Douglas fir is a popular Christmas tree used in the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, and Guam.
Fraser Firs have dark green, flattened needles that are about ½ to 1 inch long. The tree has good needle retention, nice scent and pyramid-shaped strong branches, which turn upward. The combination of form, needle retention, color, and pleasant scent makes it a popular Christmas tree.
Grand Firs have needles that are 1 to 1 ½ inches long with glossy dark green tops and two highly visible white lines of stomata on the undersides. When the needles are crushed, they give off a citrus smell.
A hybrid of Monterey cypress and Alaskan cedar, the Leland Cypress is one of the most sought after Christmas tree in the Southeastern United States. Its foliage is a dark green to gray color with upright branches and feathery appearance. Because of its light scent, many people with allergies prefer it to other Christmas tree types.
Noble Firs have 4-sided needles that are over 1 inch long; they are bluish-green but appear silver because of two white rows of stomata on the underside and one to two rows on the upper surface. The tree's short, stiff branches are great for heavier ornaments, making it a popular Christmas tree in the Pacific Northwest. It is also used to make wreaths, door swags and garland.
White Firs, or Concolor Firs, have blue-green needles that are ½ to 1½ inches long. The needles are nicely shaped and give off an aroma of citrus. White fir is an excellent ornamental tree and is widely planted in the eastern United States and Canada.
Mostly grown in Texas, Afghan Pines have soft, short needles with sturdy branches. The tree has an open appearance and mild fragrance, and it keeps well.
Introduced in the United States by European settlers, Scotch Pines are the most common Christmas tree with stiff branches, and stiff dark green needles that are 1 inch long. This tree can last for about four weeks with its aroma lasting throughout the season. Needles will stay on even when dry. The tree has an open appearance and more room for ornaments.
Virginia Pines have dark green needles that are 1 ½ to 3 inches long in twisted pairs. Its strong branches enable it to hold heavy ornaments. The tree has a strong aromatic pine scent and it's a very popular southern Christmas tree.
The largest pine in the U.S. and native to Michigan and Maine, the White Pine is a tree with little or no fragrance. It has blue-green needles about 2 to 5 inches long in bundles of five that makes it look full in appearance. Its slender braches support fewer and smaller decorations as compared to Scotch pines.
The Carolina Sapphire has a steely blue color, dense lacy foliage with tiny yellow flowers and a pleasing aroma of a cross between lemon and mint. It's a popular tree in the South.
Black Hills Spruce is very dense and pyramidal looking. This spruce has green to blue-green needles about 1/3 to ¼ inches long. The branches are stiff and will hold many ornaments. The needles are prickly, and so may not be suitable around young children.
The official state tree of Colorado and Utah, the Blue Spruce, is an attractive tree used mostly by the eastern part of the United States. Due to its stiff needles, pyramidal shape and cone-shaped crown, it's very popular as a Christmas tree or as an ornamental. Its needles are a dull bluish-gray to silvery blue, and emit a resinous odor when crushed. Some trees have distinct bluish-white or silvery-white foliage. The needles are about ¾ to 1½ inches long.
White spruce is a medium-sized conifer that is popular for its shape and color in northeastern United States and throughout Canada. It is the state tree of South Dakota. Needles are usually ½ to ¾ inches long, blunt at the tip and green to bluish-green in color. Needles are four-sided and are present on short twig-like structures on the stem. When the needles are crushed, it gives off an unpleasant odor.
It must be a bit overwhelming knowing there are all sorts of Christmas trees available, but you can keep narrowing your choices by deciding on a specific size. Many people enjoy tall Christmas trees, especially if they have cathedral ceilings that can fit one. Others enjoy small tabletop Christmas tree for their small apartment or home.
Upon deciding the type and size of Christmas tree, make sure to pick one that is fresh. A freshly cut tree can last longer through the holiday season and its needles won't dry and fall out. Look for one that is green, not brown. The needles of pines and spruces should bend and not break. They should be hard to pull off the branches. While looking around for a fresh tree, make sure that the trunk has some sap coming out of it. Another way to test the freshness of the tree is to slightly drop and shake the tree. Raise the tree a few inches and drop it on the base of the bark. Shake it a little if you can. The needles should not drop off. If they do, your tree may be dry and was cut a while ago. Of course, a few needles will always drop because trees tend to shed. If you are unsure about the tree you want to purchase, ask the seller for information. If they don't know the answers to your questions, keep on shopping.
Artificial Trees
Many people opt for an artificial tree because they dread cleaning up all the needles that fall or are left behind from a real one. Others want to avoid spending money every year for a tree that gets put up once a year, and some people like the option of buying a color coated tree that matches their décor. Whatever the reason may be, looking for the right artificial tree can be just as challenging as looking for a real one.
Originally, artificial trees looked fake compared to real trees and were considered a kind of Christmas ornament themselves. Today, many manufacturers of trees make it difficult to distinguish between artificial and real. There are many types of artificial trees available such as a plain tree, fiber optics pre-lit, and decorative. All artificial trees come in different sizes and thickness (wide or slim). Fiber Optics are trees that use a single incandescent bulb ranging from five to fifty watts. Light is transmitted from a single bulb through small optic fibers along each branch of the tree. The decorative trees are trees that are come already decorated with lights and ornaments. The plain artificial ones you decorate yourself.
The first thing to consider when buying an artificial tree is to make sure it will be safe to use. Flame resistant components are a must and, for pre-lit Christmas trees, UL® approval is mandatory. Every safety measure is important to prevent the tree catching on fire.
The way the tree is constructed is another factor to think about. The foliage should be crafted of crush resistant material with many tips usually made of poly-vinyl. The length and softness of the needles are things to look at. The wire of the branches is important, and should be strong enough to hold your heaviest ornaments. Usually, the cheaper the artificial Christmas trees, the thinner the branch wire will be. You want your tree to look as natural as possible and not be able to see through it. Most importantly, it should be easy to put together, take apart, and store away.
With artificial Christmas trees, you can decide the color you would like it to be. Pink feather, purple tinsel, blue-flocked, orange-yellow maple or lime-colored trees can match any theme or décor you like. Many people adore the natural tree because they love the smell and the traditional history that is behind real trees. Unfortunately, these trees loose their needles and require watering every day. Artificial trees don't need as much maintenance as natural ones. The branches are able to camouflage wires, but they don't have the smell of pine that fills the air. When it comes down to choosing the perfect tree, it is a matter of personal taste, space, and budget.
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