Tips and trends when picking out this year’s Christmas tree
It’s that time: One of the particular joys of the season is
heading outdoors to pick out a Christmas tree.
Some good news for tree shoppers this season: If you are
buying from a big-box store or pop-up lot where the trees are likely shipped
from Canada—live trees imported from our northern neighbor are exempt from
tariffs.
However, a better option might be to buy local, advises URI
forestry extension specialist Christopher Riely.
He will be heading to a local tree farm to make his selection, keeping his
decorative dollars in the local economy. Plus, it’s a magical experience.
“It can be a fun expedition to pick out a Rhody-grown tree,”
says Riely.
Riely likes to vary the type of tree he puts up from year to
year. He enjoys buying fresh-cut trees from local farms, and in recent years
has been drawn to “character” trees that are far from the perfect conical shape
but unique in appearance (and also offer a good value). Last year, he brought
home a white fir.
Supporting Christmas tree farmers helps ensure the continued
economic viability of local agriculture and reduces the likelihood that
productive open space will be developed or converted for another use.
A Certified Forester and Arborist in URI’s Department of Natural Resources Science, Riely shared some shopping pointers for those looking for a tree for Christmas:
Is a live tree or an artificial tree a better choice,
environmentally?
Live trees are made of 100% renewable materials that don’t
need any special recycling or composting facilities. They absorb carbon from
the atmosphere during their lifetime, rather than contributing to the impacts
associated with producing metals and plastic.
What’s the best way to find a Rhody-grown tree and what
are some things to look for when selecting a tree?
The Rhode
Island Christmas Tree Growers Association website is a good place to
start. There are a modest number of family-run farms located around the state.
Many offer customers the opportunity to come before the season to select and
“tag” a tree, then return to have it cut during the lead-up to the holidays.
This is the best way to ensure that you will get the species, size, and shape
of tree you prefer, and it can be especially fun for children. Of course, it’s
fine to just show up and select from the trees that are available.
You can tell if a tree is fresh if it isn’t dropping a lot
of needles when you touch the branches. The needles on a fresh tree are dark
green. Grayish needles indicate the tree is drying out, unless it’s a species
with different-colored needles such as Colorado blue spruce.
It’s a good idea to know how much space you have for a tree
before you go looking for one. It’s easy to underestimate the height of a tree
when you are outside, so measure if you can and don’t forget to add room for
the tree stand and whatever you will be putting on top.
Are any varieties best for length of display and/or
scent?
Different species of trees appeal to different people and
their prices vary. Firs have flat needles that are gentler to touch. Balsam
firs are the most common (and least expensive) species of Christmas tree in the
Northeast. They are also known for their appealing scent; you can find souvenir
pillows filled with balsam fir needles. Douglas and long-lasting Fraser firs
are more expensive, but appreciated for their classic appearance and form.
Spruces have round, pointed needles that can be prickly to the touch but many
people like the look of the Norway spruce or Colorado blue spruce. Young native
white pines can be used as Christmas trees, but their appearance is often too
spindly or scruffy-looking for people who are accustomed to a symmetrical,
pruned, and conical look.
Are there any tree trends happening this year?
One interesting ongoing trend over the past 55 years in the
U.S. is that a conifer from federal public lands is selected for display
outside the Capitol in Washington D.C., with the tree coming from a different
part of the country each year. This year’s tree is a
53-foot red fir harvested from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.
It is currently traveling by truck on a cross-country tour before arriving in
Washington, where it will be lit in early December and decorated with 10,000
ornaments.
Beyond the wonder of having a tree in your home, is
purchasing a live local tree a good way to support local farmland and
agricultural businesses?
The best way to support local growers is to buy their trees!
Some farmers grow Christmas trees as a way to diversify their income together
with other agricultural products and farm tourism experiences.
Supporting Christmas tree farmers is just like supporting
local farmers — it helps ensure the continued economic viability of these
enterprises and reduces the likelihood that productive open space will be
developed or converted for another use.
For more tips on caring for your tree once it’s home, or
disposing after, contact URI’s Cooperative Extension Gardening and
Environmental Hotline (401-874-4836 / gardener@uri.edu). To learn more about
Rhode Island trees, any time of year, visit Rhode Island Woods,
an online resource for information on Rhode Island forests, maintained at the
University of Rhode Island.
