Rooted Ramblings: O, Christmas Tree!

Written by Marianne Senvisky, Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer 

Bringing home a fresh-cut Christmas tree is a cherished tradition for many people during the holiday season, with 25-30 million live trees sold in the U.S. every year according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Tree farms produce a variety of pine, spruce, and fir evergreen trees especially for this time of year. Also popular for holiday decorating, the American Holly (Ilex opaca) is a broadleaf ornamental evergreen with leaves with spiny marginal teeth and red berries.

As their name implies, evergreens keep their color throughout the year by not completely shedding their foliage in the fall. Deciduous broadleaf trees like oaks and maples, on the other hand, lose their leaves every autumn along with the Eastern Larch (Larix laricina), the only deciduous (needle-shedding) conifer native to Ohio.

Pines, spruce, and fir trees are also classified as evergreen conifers, which produce cones instead of flowers to house their seeds. Most conifer species are monoecious, with male and female cones growing on the same tree. The best way to distinguish conifer trees is by their needle shape and branch attachment: Everything You Need to Know About Christmas Trees: Ohioline

• Pines (Pinus spp.) have needles in bundles of two, three, or five, joined by papery sheaths called fascicles.
• Spruce (Picea spp.) needles are four-sided and attach individually via short pegs called pulvini. These stiff, sharply pointed needles are shed every 4-10 years, and the remaining pegs give the branches a rough feel.
• Fir (Abies spp.) needles attach individually to branches and look like a suction cup- tipped dart. When the soft, two-sided needle is removed or naturally shed, a small, round scar is left behind. Because fir needles release a citrusy scent when crushed, this species is popular for home fragrance use. The Frasier Fir is the most popular Christmas fir, making up almost 40% of sales nationally, while the Balsam Fir is considered the most fragrant.

When choosing your live Christmas tree, consider a balled tree that can be planted outdoors after the holidays to enjoy for years to come. Plan ahead by digging a planting hole before the ground freezes that is one to two feet wider than the root ball and as deep as the root ball’s height. The tree can also be stored in an unheated shelter until spring for later planting.

To keep your cut tree fresh throughout the holiday season, be sure to provide up to one quart of tap water per day for each inch of diameter on the cut end. For example, a typical 7-foot-tall tree with a 3-inch trunk diameter would need up to three quarts of water per day.

After the holidays, recycle your cut Christmas tree by checking with local city services or county recycling centers. You can also repurpose it as a wildlife or pond habitat, mulch, or firewood (allow to dry first).

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Ohio State University Extension Portage County Master Gardener Volunteer program. As OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, our articles will never endorse specific products or companies. Questions/comments/suggestions/want to find out more/become a PCMGV: 330-296-6432 • portco.mgv.oh@gmail.com • FB PCMGV • PCMGV Speaker’s Bureau