Which Real Christmas Tree To Get?
There are three types of live Christmas trees that are primarily sold in the New Orleans area: Noble Fir, Douglas Fir and Fraser Fir.
Noble Fir aka Abies procera are the most expensive in price. They hold their needles the best of the three varieties. They are the epitome of the beautiful live Christmas tree. Noble Fir are the best tree if you have heavy ornaments. The branches make excellent wreaths, swags and garlands because of their 4-sided needle texture which is similar to the spruce. The blueish-green needles are usually over an inch long. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, Noble Fir are gaining in popularity.
Douglas Fir aka Pseudotsuga menziesii are usually the cheapest in price. They also drop their needles the most. They are also physically lighter that Noble Fir and Fraser Fir. They have a more fluttery needle texture. The needles are usually 1 to 1.5 inches long and range in color from a dark green to blue green. They are not a true variety of Fir. The needles are fragrant.
(All are National Christmas Tree Association photos)
Fraser Fir aka Abies fraseri are the mid-range priced. They have shorter, thicker needles than the Douglas Fir. They don’t drop their needles as badly as the Douglas Fir. The fragrant blue-green needles are usually ½ inch to 1 inch long. It takes 7-10 years to produce a 6-7 foot tree.
The most important thing to remember with whatever live tree you choose is to get a fresh cut on it and let it soak in a bucket of water overnight before you put it in your house. Once you have it up, be sure and check it daily and add water to the reservoir. This will help your tree to not dry out as fast.
Submitted by Michelle Gyorgy
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