Christmas Trees tend to be a matter of preference and tradition for most families. The look, the smell, the way ornaments hang and can be seen, the way the needles stay on or don’t stay on the tree are all things people talk about when they consider what kind of tree to buy. It is strange but true that people tend to be very strongly attached to a particular species because of the emotions and memories that are attached to the family experience of cutting or buying a tree, decorating it, how well they can see gifts under the tree, essentially all of the things that are best about spending time together as a family during the holiday season. The Christmas Tree is a constant and a constant reminder of special family memories.
Which is better? An Artificial or Natural Christmas Tree
A “Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Artificial versus Natural Christmas Trees” performed by ellipsos found that “The natural tree is a better option than the artificial tree, in particular with respect to impacts on climate change and resource depletion.” Additionally, “natural tree production has positive impacts on climate change because natural trees sequester CO2.” In all fairness to the authors and the report, they did note that if you kept and used your artificial tree for more than 20 years then the artificial tree may be a more sustainable option. So if anyone has been using their artificial tree for more than 20 years let me know how that is working out for you…
If you would like to learn more about Life Cycle Assessment and why I chose to use this report to compare the relative merits of Artificial versus Real trees follow this link… Life Cycle Assessment
Obviously I am biased, but the evidence is clear, a natural tree is always a better option. But let’s take this one step further. If you are interested is locally produced goods, job creation, sustainable development, and sustainable forest management then I would urge you to consider buying your Christmas Tree from a local Christmas Tree Farm that is certified sustainably managed by the American Tree Farm System. Many Christmas Tree Producers are members of the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) and proudly display their sign. Christmas Tree Producers are certified by ATFS if they are in compliance with their Standards of Sustainability which includes managing their lands “to protect wildlife habitat and watersheds, to conserve soil and to provide recreation for their communities” while producing Christmas Trees.
Which species makes the best Christmas Tree???
Choice and selection of a Christmas tree has always been somewhat regional based on what could be grown in the local area. In fact, it might be possible to guess what region of the United States a person was from based on what kind of species they prefer for a Christmas tree. Folks from the Northeastern United States tend to prefer Balsam Fir with White Pine running a close second. Folks in the Lake States also like Balsam Fir but Red (Norway) and Scotch Pine run a close second and Spruce trees start to show up. As you move west Fraser Fir and Douglas-Fir are popular and Colorado Blue Spruce starts becoming more popular. I would hazard a guess that it would be possible to find any and all of these trees on a Tree Lot in the coming weeks as most Christmas Tree Producers try to meet the needs of their clients. But which species makes the best Christmas tree? If you don’t already have a strong family tradition and you are willing to try something new here are a few thoughts to consider.
First and foremost, how important is the smell of the tree to you? The firs and to a lesser extent the pine trees have a strong and pleasant odor that people enjoy. Just take a look at the shops that sell scented candles at this time of year and see what their best sellers are. Spruces also tend to have a strong odor but many folks do not find it near as pleasant as the firs or pines.
Do you like to see your ornaments? Each year my wife and I have purchased ceramic ornaments that are special to us and our family. These ornaments tend to be fairly large and heavy and we like to see them. So we prefer a Christmas tree with short needles and relatively strong branches. Firs and spruces often meet this need better than pines. Pines will often bend and droop under the weight of heavier ornaments and may not be the best fit if this is important to you.
Needle color is another consideration. Firs and white spruce have dense foliage and a nice dark green color which allows them to show off white lights very well. Colorado Blue Spruce and some French and German varieties of Scotch pine have a bluish tint to the needles that some folks really like. The foliage of the pine trees is not as dense as the fir or spruce trees and tends to show off colored lights better. So lighting and needle color can be an important consideration for some folks as well.
Another issue for most folks is needle retention and needle dryness (whether the tree is fire prone). Based on a 2005 study done by Dr. Les Werner, Nicholas Jensen, and Andrew Koeser to determine if water uptake in recently cut Christmas Trees could compensate for evapo-transpirative losses. Their study found that Fraser Fir consistently ranked the highest in water uptake, sap flow, and needle retention. Based on the data collected they would rank these species in the following order…
1. Fraser Fir
2. Balsam Fir
3. Scotch Pine
4. Black Hills Spruce (white spruce variant)
Please follow these links if you would like to learn more about any of these trees.
Balsam Fir Canaan Fir Fraser Fir
Red (Norway) Pine Scotch Pine White Pine
Colorado Blue Spruce White Spruce
White Fir Douglas-Fir
Where can I find a “Choose and Cut” Christmas Tree Producer?
According to the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association almost one million Christmas Trees are harvested each year from one of 1,136 Christmas Tree farms in Wisconsin with 33,458 acres in production. Wisconsin ranks fifth in Christmas Tree production nationally and accounts for almost one million of the nearly 18 million that are harvested nationally each year. Although the numbers vary from year to year approximately 16 percent of the Christmas Trees sold in Wisconsin this year will be bought by a family going to a Christmas Tree Farm where they will select and harvest their own tree. 16 percent isn’t bad but I would encourage everyone to make this a family tradition. We have found this to be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for our entire family including our relatives from California. Although I do have to loan my brother-in-law my biggest and heaviest down parka and Sorel boots for the trip. I have yet to see a child who doesn’t have fun running around a Christmas Tree farm looking for the perfect tree and I have yet to meet a Christmas Tree Producer who doesn’t roll out the red carpet to make the experience as enjoyable as possible including letting us bring our yellow lab along as she is part of the family as well. So who are these people and where can you find the “Choose and Cut” Christmas Tree Farm near you? Follow this link to the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producer Associations website where you will find a list of “Choose and Cut” farms with driving directions, when they are open and what kinds of trees they have available. And if you can’t find the time to take your family out to a farm then look for a retail lot that sells trees that are grown by a Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producer. I have been watching a number of Christmas tree farms in my neighborhood and they just started cutting last week for their retail stands and that is as fresh as you can get.
Here are my wishes to you and your family for a very happy holiday season which I hope you will celebrate with a Wisconsin-grown Christmas Tree.
