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Choosing The Best Christmas Tree For Your Family

Resources: Community

There are so many different options when it comes to purchasing a Christmas tree which can make it hard to know which type of tree is best for your family and home. We’ve compiled the best Christmas trees for common complaints and preferences, such as trees for small spaces, trees that won’t drop a bunch of needles, and trees with the best Christmas scent. Read on to find out what type of Christmas tree is best for your situation. 

Last For Months

If you’re looking for a Christmas tree that will last from Thanksgiving to past New Years it may be best to choose an artificial tree. Artificial trees are easy to set up, never drop their needles, and can be kept up as long as you’d like. To make an artificial tree feel more like a real Christmas tree, hide evergreen car air fresheners from the internal branches of the tree. 

If your family has their heart set on a real Christmas tree, the Noble Fir (Abies procera) is probably the best option. Out of the popular Christmas tree options, Noble Firs last the longest, about six weeks. Frasier Firs (Abies fraseri) are also a good option lasting about five weeks. 

Noble Fir

Great For Small Spaces:

If you have a small apartment or home it may be hard to make room for a Christmas tree without removing pieces of furniture. But don’t give up just yet; there are certain types of Christmas trees that are thin and compact which may work for your small space. Fraser Firs (Abies fraseri) and Balsam Firs (Abies balsamea) both tend to have a slender profile which makes them great for small spaces. Balsam Firs only reach about 1.5 feet in diameter, while Fraser Firs reach 1-1.5 foot in diameter making it easy to find room for these Christmas trees in your home. 

Fraser Fir
Fraser Fir

Can Hold Heavy Ornaments

Have you ever gotten your Christmas tree back home just to start decorating and find out it won’t support your favorite ornaments? This is because trees with soft, flexible branches aren’t strong enough to support heavy ornaments. If you have lots of heavy ornaments to hang we suggest opting for Christmas trees that have stronger, stiff branches. Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri), Scotch/Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway Spruce (Picea abies), Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) and White Spruce (Picea glauca) all have branches capable of supporting heavy ornaments and lights. 

white spruce
White Spruce

Won’t Drop Many Needles

We’ve all been driven crazy by Christmas trees that constantly drop their needles. One of the best ways to avoid excess needle drop this year is to pick a tree that is known for its needle retention. Varieties such as the Nordmann Fir (Abies nordmanniana) and Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) may cost a little more but their needle retention is worth the increase in price. Virginia Pines (Pinus virginiana), Scotch/Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), and Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) are also known for their good needle retention. Keeping your Christmas tree hydrated and away from heaters can also help reduce needle drop. 

Balsam Fir
Balsam Fir

The Best Scent

For some people, the scent is what makes the tree. Luckily, there are a lot of options for Christmas tree scent lovers. For a classic Christmas tree scent, opt for a Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), Noble Fir (Abies balsamea), or Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri). Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is also great for a classic, sweet Christmas scent. For something a little more unique go for a White Fir (Abies concolor) which has a citrus smell. 

Douglas Fir
Douglas Fir

If the scent of your Christmas tree is important to you definitely avoid the White Spruce (Picea glauca), Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens), and Leyland Cypress (Cupressus × leylandii). White and Blue Spruces generally don’t have much fragrance; however, if their needles are broken they give off a very unpleasant smell. For those that are sensitive to smells, Leyland Cypress is a good option since it does not give off any aroma.

Leyland Cypress
Leyland Cypress

Now that you know what Christmas Trees are best for specific preferences and situations; What type of Christmas Tree will you choose?

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
Verified
We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
Verified
We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
Verified
David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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