There’s a nip in the air and a fat man in a red suit on the way. That means it’s time to buy a Christmas tree. But what kind should you buy? Artificial, fresh cut or live? And what variety? This depends on the length of time you wish to keep the tree inside.
If you’re looking at keeping a tree inside more than three weeks, you should consider an artificial tree. If your tree will be up less than three weeks, a fresh-cut tree is certainly an option. If you keep a tree up for 10 days or less, you might consider a living tree.
If you’re planning on decorating a fresh or living tree for Christmas, there are many varieties of trees you can choose. Christmas trees can be broken down into three basic groupings: firs, spruce and pines.
The following list is commonly grown Christmas trees, but not a complete list of varieties. I’ve taken the liberty of matching the personality of the tree with an appropriate Ford Vehicle.
• The Frasier fir is native to the high elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains. It has easily adapted to our climate, if you’re considering a living tree. It has excellent needle retention with wonderful fragrance, dark green foliage with silver on the underside of the needles, and twigs which are relatively stiff for an easy-to-decorate tree. A classic like this would pair nicely with the common sense appeal of an Escape.
• The Douglas fir is a very popular Christmas tree. It’s native to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and has adapted well to our weather conditions. It has a natural pyramid shape with somewhat drooping branches. The needles are a medium-green color, about 1 to 1 1/2 inches long and fragrant. This tree has good needle retention and is relatively easy to decorate. This manly specimen would travel well in the back of a F-250 truck.
• The Balsam fir is a long-lasting, fragrant fir with dark green foliage. It’s native to the northeastern United States and Canada. It likes cold, winter temperatures and cool, summer temperatures. It is one of the most common Christmas trees in the United States. It has good needle retention and strong twigs for an easy-to-decorate tree. This tree resembles the Frasier fir in looks and endurance. The Balsam is a frugal choice so it belongs with the economical Focus.
• The white spruce has short, stiff needles with a blunt tip, making them less prickly than the blue spruce. The branches are stiff as well, making it a good choice for heavy ornaments. Needle retention is good, probably better than other spruces. However, when the needles are crushed, they have an unpleasant odor. A tough, prickly tree is a good fit with the sturdy Explorer.
• Scotch pine is a common Christmas tree. It was imported from Europe by early European settlers. It has long, stiff needles, about 1 to 3 inches in length. The needles are in clusters and are a medium green color. It has fairly good needle retention when it is kept watered. It also is a very easy tree to transplant if you are considering a living tree. The Scotch pine looks great with traditional and minimal nature decorations. A nice match with the solid Taurus.
When selecting a variety of tree, keep in mind where the tree will be displayed. If it is in a cooler room, your choices are greater because the needles will hold longer. If it is a warm room, where conditions will dry out the needles more quickly, it’s best to choose a variety with good needle retention. In other words, give you tree choice the same consideration as your Ford choice.