Since we’re smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, we here at John Madison Landscape wanted to quench your thirst for Christmas tree knowledge. We love this time of year because Christmas trees are like having landscaping inside your house! Whether you’ve had yours up since before Thanksgiving, or are waiting to purchase and decorate it on Christmas Eve, we thought there are some good facts you should know about the most popular types of Christmas trees that are available in Central Florida.

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  Fraser Fir. Photo courtesy of www.hagueschristmastrees.com

  Fraser fir: The Fraser Fir may be the perfect holiday tree. Dark green, flattened needles; its attractive needles are ½ to 1 inch long and soft to the touch; dark green on the top and silvery underneath; they have good form and good needle retention; and have pyramid-shaped strong branches which turn upward. Because there is space between the branches, the Fraser is easier to decorate than some trees. The firm branches hold heavier ornaments and the trees grow to almost perfect shapes. They have a pleasant scent, and excellent shipping characteristics as well. Fraser fir is the balsam fir of the southeastern United States, grown on well drained but fairly moist soils. It is named for a botanist, John Fraser, who explored the southern Appalachians in the late 1700’s.

• Douglas Fir: Douglas Fir is a beautiful Christmas tree with soft shiny green needles. It has a good fragrance; holds blue to dark green; 1” to 1 ½” needles; can live for a thousand years; and their needles have one of the best
  

  Douglas Fir. Photo courtesy of www.hagueschristmastrees.com

  aromas among Christmas trees when crushed. It may be difficult to decorate if the branches have been sheared into a perfect conical shape, leaving too little space between branches to hang decorations. If this variety of tree is available, you might want to take an unbreakable ornament with you when you buy a tree to see if you can put decorations on it. Choose a Douglas Fir that is freshly cut and keep it well watered. It is named after David Douglas who studied the tree in the 1800’s.

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  Noble Fir. Photo courtesy of www.christmastree.org

  Noble Fir: The Noble Fir is deep green in color and has an unusually lovely branch shape. It has one inch long needles with a silvery appearance; great for heavier ornaments; keeps well; and the boughs of this tree are often used to make fresh wreaths, door swags and garlands. Its branches are short and sturdy, yet the needles are not too sharp to decorate easily. Like the Fraser Fir, the Noble’s branches have good spacing between branches so it’s easy to hang ornaments on them.

Hope this helps! If you want to prepare your outdoor space for holiday visitors, or if your New Year’s resolution is to take care of that unsightly yard, give us a call at 407-935-9151 or click here. Happy Holidays!