Christmas Trees

 Christmas Trees.

Our Christmas tree

Many conifers are used as Christmas Trees. In the U.K most are Norway Spruce or Nordmann Fir. Both are native to Europe. The Norway spruce, the Christmas tree introduced by Prince Albert, occurs naturally in Northern and Eastern Europe and in the Alps, but not in the U.K. The Nordmann Fir is a tree of the mountains of Turkey and the Caucasus, hence its alternative name the Caucasian Fir.

A Nordmann Fir 
Pruned by the deer.

The reason they are the most common is that they are the most readily available. Norway Spruce is an important commercial tree, so is available in large numbers. It is fast growing though for the Christmas tree market the leader needs to be trimmed back or there will be too much trunk between branches. Being a Spruce is very not suitable as a cut tree in dry centrally heated houses. The needles dry out die and drop off. The Nordmann Fir being a fir holds its needles even when they are dead. This makes it a more suitable indoor tree. The disadvantage with it is that it is slow growing, taking about twice as long as Norway to reach 6ft. The reason Nordmann is the most available Fir, when there are many faster growing ones. Is that the new leaves flush fairly late in the spring after most frosts, so in the U.K. there are not too many losses, or trees that need pruning to keep straight.  

I have both Norway Spruce and Nordmann Fir at Pit Wood, and could find ones that were a suitable size. I didn't have a Nordmann that hadn't been mauled by the rabbits/hares/deer. One thing I have learnt is that Fir is synonymous with fodder. The Norway Spruce have been planted to form a wind break in years to come.

 We have a Japanese Red Cedar as our "real" tree, a more open and droopy tree than most. It is the top six feet of one that was being removed to give space to neighbouring Douglas Fir that have timber potential.  It is the middle of the three trees in the picture. The Douglas on either side are now shading it so it will become increasingly stunted. The Douglas will have more light now it has gone.