Tree Specimen Guide

Categories:

At Home November

With Thanksgiving feasts behind us, we can hardly wait to deck our halls for Christmas. First up, a trip to the tree lot to pick out the perfect evergreen. Throughout the year, our plant experts search high and low-- sometimes as high as 9000' feet in the Rockies!-- for the freshest firs, pines, and spruces. Available by post and in stores, we picked four favorite trees for decorating this Christmas. Take a peek at our specimen guide, above, and read on to learn why we love each variety.

Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa)
Found at elevations of 9000’ or more, our subalpine firs grow in the front-range forests of the Colorado Rockies. Each specimen has a unique growth style, generally characterized by spiraling branches with 1” needles and a tendency to grow upward. A slender shape and flexible branches make this variety best for more delicate ornaments. With proper care, subalpine firs can keep their needles for 6-9 weeks. Sustainably wild-harvested during annual thinning for fire prevention, our subalpine firs are never sourced from clear-cut harvests.

Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri)
A classic choice for American Christmas décor, our sustainably-harvested Fraser firs are grown on a family-run farm in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains. Selectively cut for the healthiest and freshest specimens, these trees differ from Frasers grown in the Carolinas. A sturdy variety for displaying heavier ornaments, the Fraser fir features upturned branches and blue-green needles that hold their color all season long. With proper care, average needle retention is 8-10 weeks.
 
Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
Found in northern latitudes from Newfoundland to Alaska, the black spruce is a hardy tree that can grow in a multitude of harsh climates, from wet bogs to exposed, dry slopes. A Christmas classic, it also has practical uses in making salves and rope. A straight, slender form and short, drooping branches create a vertical, arrow-like shape that works best with lighter ornaments. With proper care, our sustainbly grown black spruces can retain their needles for around 30 days. 
 
Found between 2500 and 7000’ in select areas of the Rocky Mountains, lodgepole pines grow in stands and can reach up to 200 years in age. Sustainably harvested in Colorado, the flexible branches of lodgepoles are best suited for showcasing more delicate ornaments. These unique pines have excellent needle retention, maintaining a fresh appearance for 8-10 weeks with proper care. Like our subalpine firs, our lodgepole pines are sustainably wild-harvested during annual thinning for fire prevention.

You May Also Like:

Comment

0 Comments