It is that time of the year when there is that unmistakable buzz and excitement all around you. A focal point of holiday celebrations in millions of homes across North America, the Christmas tree represents an age-old tradition. If it’s one of your annual family rituals, then you know that there is more to real trees than their appealing fragrance. If you purchase a fresh-cut tree, you are also helping the PA tree farmers and promoting your local economy.
This year, tree sellers in every corner of the country are going through Christmas trees almost as fast as they can get them off the truck – and many places are now experiencing shortages. There are a couple of contributing factors causing this lack of available trees. First, there are less tree vendors because some are sitting it out this season due to the pandemic. Second, a national Christmas tree shortage has been going on since the recession of 2008 and it’s starting to catch up with the demand. So when you go to your local tree vendor, you might notice prices are up $10-$20 or they already be sold out!
A Guide for Traditional Christmas Trees
To enrich your experience of selecting a Christmas tree, it is always interesting to know all about the various types of trees that grow in our region. Here’s a look at some of the trees grown in the northeast region, in and around Pennsylvania…
- Balsam Fir – This fir was the first farm-grown Christmas tree in the Northeast. Its soft, dark green foliage, with flattened needles about three-quarters of an inch in length, has a distinctive “balsam” aroma. Its sturdy branching and excellent needle retention have made it a long time favorite Christmas tree.
- Colorado Blue Spruce – This spruce has a fresh piney smell, a classic pyramidal shape stout and three-sided needles about three-quarters of an inch in length. Its foliage can vary in color from silvery indigo blue to dark green. Its sturdy branching and good needle retention make this tree an excellent addition to your Christmas celebrations.
- Douglas Fir – Its lush, blue-green foliage, with needles about one inch in length, is very attractive. Its sturdy branching with typical pyramidal shape and outstanding needle retention makes this evergreen a dependable, hardy holiday favorite.
- Fraser Fir – Elegant and fragrant, the Fraser fir has two-toned leaves. Its soft, emerald-green needles have a silvery underside of about three-quarters of an inch in length. Its sturdy, slender branching and outstanding needle retention make it a superb Christmas tree whose popularity has grown in recent years.
- Norway Spruce – This tree has shiny, dark green foliage with needles about one-half inch in length. Often found at a choose & cut farm, the rich foliage of this spruce can exhibit good needle retention with proper care. Its value as an ornamental landscape tree is also widely recognized.
- Scotch Pine – This conifer was one of the first farm-grown Christmas trees in the United States. Due to its classic, conical shape and excellent needle retention, this is one of the most popular Christmas trees for the holiday season. Not only is it hardy and low maintenance, but it’s beautiful, bright green leaves add a charming touch to your space and festivities.
- White Pine – Widely distributed throughout the forests of eastern North America, this tree has soft, lacy, blue-green foliage with needles about three to four inches in length and produces long, decorative cones. A very graceful-looking evergreen, its fragrance and excellent needle retention made it a popular Christmas tree for many years.
- White Spruce – This very appealing spruce has delicate, blue-green foliage, with needles about one-half inch in length. Given proper care, this tree also exhibits good needle retention and can be found most often in a choose & cut farm. Its excellent form and color make it an exceptional Christmas tree.
Benefits of a Real Christmas Tree
This renewable resource is completely biodegradable and can easily be recycled for mulch and a number of purposes that benefit the overall ecosystem. Real Christmas trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. The farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts. Christmas trees are often grown on soil that doesn’t support other crops
Looking for More Information About PA Christmas Trees Available in the Area?
The Pennsylvanian ready-cut Christmas tree industry has been in existence since the mid-nineteenth century and ranks third in the nation for the number of Christmas tree farms! With approximately 1,400 farms spread across 31,000 acres of the state, the Commonwealth accounts for nearly 31,000 acres, producing about 1 million cut trees each year. Three new seedlings are planted on average in place of each cut tree. Click the button below to find a tree locally on the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association website…
