5 Choices for Living Christmas Trees

Many of my specimen evergreen trees started out as our living trees for Christmas celebrations. It is a bit of work, you can’t keep them indoors very long, but instead of throwing away a tree, you have a beautiful reminder of your holidays year after year. If you are thinking of buying a living Christmas tree this year, here are five choices and growing instructions; followed later with landscape information for each tree.

Norway Spruce (Picea abies)

This is the first choice for our family and we have a number of very large Norway spruces that once spent the Christmas season inside for two weeks. They grow to a tall and wide loosely branched evergreen tree. Best choice for challenging conditions.

Canaan Fir, (Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis)

I have several of these, but they don’t do as well in my area over the long term. They are beautiful trees when well-grown, however. Stately with well spaced branches and aromatic fragrance, this fir is the best for Midwest conditions.

Scots Pine, (Pinus sylvestris)

There is one lone Scot pine on my property, but I’d gladly have more. Long lived, it will become a friend to animal life in your garden. As a Christmas tree it is a traditional and fragrant choice.

Douglas Fir,(Pseudotsuga menziesii )

The top choice for Christmas tree farms in the Midwest, not quite as commonly grown in the landscape (spruces and pines predominate here). It makes a favorite Christmas tree

Alberta Spruce ,(Picea glauca ‘Conica’)

This is the tiny table top tree. My biggest mistake with this type of tree is to keep it inside too long. Because it is smaller, pay close attention to watering- don’t overwater and don’t let it dry out. It is easier to plant, though, and the ultimate size is much smaller than the regular sized evergreen trees. I decorate this type of tree with miniature ornaments, but it can come pre-decorated in the stores. Keep it misted. It is a very hardy little tree.

You have to plan a little early for success with living Christmas trees. Dig your planting hole before the ground freezes and be sure to keep your soil in unheated storage. Decide which tree you wish to put into your landscape plan this year.

Tips on Taking Care of the Tree Inside

Prepare your tree outside before moving it in. Take it from outside to an unheated garage or a sheltered porch, don’t shock it into growth by bringing it directly into a warm interior. Use the reverse process when re-introducing your tree outdoors.

Shake your tree slightly to let loose needles fall.

An antidessicant or antiwilt spray is helpful, although I never used one myself. We used to spray the tree with a plant sprayer to keep humidity high, but that is hard on the ornaments. Today I would use the combination of one of these antiwilt sprays and a humidifier. ['Wilt Pruf' is one brand]

Keep your tree cool. Temperatures greater than 65 degrees may be
harmful to your tree. Consider placing a humidifier near the tree- think of it as a giant houseplant.

Use smaller lights that create less heat.

The recommended time for your tree indoors is 4- 10 days depending on who gives the recommendations. I did keep the tree in longer: two weeks. However that is stretching it and one time I did lose a tree, whether to that or the fact that we didn’t water it well enough in particularly frigid conditions, I don’t know. You will be more successful if you keep it inside for the recommended time of no more than ten days. Usually, though our trees made it and thrived; and now we have some beautiful landscape evergreen trees that block winds, are home to wildlife, and points of interest in the winter garden scene.

Water it once a day- about a quart at a time- to keep the root ball moist.

Loving Christmas for Christmas inspiration and decorating

---

Did you ever think of the fact that living Christmas trees are less of a fire hazard? They aren’t tinder dry like cut trees.

Be sure you have a large enough galvanized tub or plastic tub to hold the root ball. I lined mine with black plastic and filled in with some moistened peat moss. You can use mulch, too. The whole thing is draped with a Christmas tree skirt or a tablecloth that has a ‘Christmas-y’ look.

Pre-plan this choice so you can dig your planting hole in the nicer autumn weather. Keep the soil on a tarp in an unheated shed or garage area, if you can. No one digs a decent hole in frozen earth.

Insulate it by putting in a lining of mulch

Think about moving (lugging) this tree back and forth. We used a hand truck. You can also drag it on an old piece of carpet or a tarp.

Trees with loose root balls are less likely to survive, check this at buying time.

---

Norway Spruce: Full sun to part sun. Rich, moist, well-drained soil.Grows 40 to 60 feet tall and 25 to 30 feet wide. Medium to fast growth rate.

Douglas fir (not a true fir): grows at a medium rate to 60 ft. in the landscape. It needs full sun.

Scotch pine: grows to an eventual 50 ft. on your property, slowly, eventually losing it’s pyramidal shape, but becoming full of character. Full sun.

Canaan Fir : Slow grower to 50 ft. Needs sun

Alberta spruce: Read the Alberta spruce profile page for growing and planting information.

---

Dug the hole? Bought the tree? Now decorate for Christmas! Do you have a theme?

Fun site for kids ( and you) to learn all about tree farming.

More info from Clemson U:
Living Christmas Trees

Like my page? buy me a coffee :)