This document compares four types of Christmas trees: White Pine, Fraser Fir, Blue Spruce, and Scotch Pine. It provides details on the plant type, hardiness zones, size, growth needs, forms, uses, and advantages and disadvantages of each tree for use as a Christmas tree. The White Pine has a nice shape and good needle retention but no aroma. The Fraser Fir has a lovely form and nice scent but is more expensive. The Blue Spruce has attractive blue foliage but is very prickly. The Scotch Pine has excellent needle retention and resist drying out. Videos also demonstrate traditional and mechanized methods for shearing Christmas trees.

1. Christmas Trees

2. White Pine
Pinus strobus
• Plant type: Evergreen Tree
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3b to 7a
• Height: 50 to 75 ft.Spread: 25 to 35ft.
• Exposure: partial shade to full sun
– Optimum growth in full sun
• Leaf Color: Blue, Green
• Growth Rate: average
• Soil/Moisture: Any moist, well-drained soil
• Form: Oval, Pyramidal
• Landscape Uses: Christmas tree, Aggressive surface roots
possible, Screen, Superior hedge
• Meticulous shearing necessary to form marketable Christmas
tree

3. White Pine
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Nice shape – No aroma
– Good needle retention – Can’t hold heavy
– Locally grown ornaments

4. Fraser Fir
• Plant type: EvergreenTree
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a to 7a
• Height: 30 to 50’ Spread: 15 to 20’
• Exposure: partial shade to full sun
– Best for growth - full sun
• Growth Rate: slow
• Form: Pyramidal
• Landscape Uses: Christmas tree, Screen, Specimen
• Most popular species of Christmas tree in US
• Best natural form

5. Fraser Fir
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Lovely Form – More expensive
– Nice scent

6. Blue Spruce
Picea pungens
• Plant type: Evergreen Tree
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a to 7b
• Height: 35 – 60 ft, Spread: 15 – 25 ft
• Exposure: partial shade to full sun
As a Christmas Tree needs full sun
• Leaf Color: Blue, Silvery
• Growth Rate: average
• Form: Columnar, Pyramidal
• Uses: Specimen, windbreak
• Very prickly when used as a Christmas tree

7. Blue Spruce
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– This Christmas Tree has – Very prickly
good symmetrical form – Blue color
– Attractive blue foliage
– Good needle retention.

8. Scotch Pine
• Plant type: Evergreen Tree
• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a to 7a
• Height: 45 to 60ft Spread: 25 to 35 ft
• Exposure: full sun
• Leaf Color: Green
• Growth Rate: slow
• Form: Oval, Pyramidal
• Landscape Uses: Christmas tree, Specimen
• Has excellent needle retention and good keepability. It resists
drying and if permitted to become dry does not drop its
needles
• Very prickly

9. Scotch Pine
• Advantages • Disadvantages
– Needles don’t fall off if – Very prickly
tree dries out

10. Shearing trees
• Video – old fashioned way
• Video - Mechanized

11. Name that tree

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