Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
Choosing the perfect Christmas tree involves more than picking the tallest or fullest option. We cover everything from selecting the right variety to inspecting for quality, ensuring your tree stays fresh throughout the holiday season.
Whether you’re buying from a local lot or cutting your own, knowing what to look for makes all the difference.
This guide combines my personal tips from years of tree shopping with expert advice from Christmas tree professionals to help you select and care for the perfect tree.
Size Up Your Space
Before setting out to find your tree, determine how much space you have at home. You don’t want a tree too big for the space, nor one that looks underwhelming.
- First, decide where you’ll put it. Avoid placing your tree near heat sources like radiators, heating vents, or fireplaces.
- Measure the ceiling height and the available width for branches.
- Take the height of the ceiling and subtract the height of the tree stand, your tree topper ornament, and 6 to 10 inches to keep the tree from brushing the ceiling. This will give you the maximum tree height to buy.
Know Your Trees Before You Go
It’s helpful to have an idea of what you want before you head out.
There are almost 20 Christmas tree species grown across the United States, but most lots and tree farms offer only a handful or so to choose from. The exact varieties will depend on local clientele preferences, as well as the specifics of the farm.
Coates Christmas Trees of Auburn, Washington, grows varieties that are “conducive to the soil that I’m growing them in,” according to Jeff Coates, first-generation owner. His No. 1 seller is the noble fir.
Scott and Jill Western, third-generation owners of Western’s Tree Farm in Applegate, Michigan, can’t grow nobles. He has to consider his “cold climate” and “shorter growing season.” For Westerns, the “Fraser has come out on top.”
In Idaho Falls, Idaho, Angela French, nursery supervisor at Town and Country Gardens, is limited by what she can get from her wholesalers. She’d like to try a newer variety, the Korean fir. “One of our companies grows it,” but the trees aren’t big enough to sell yet.
Popular Types of Christmas Trees
When picking out a tree, I suggest thinking about what’s important to you. Do you want a tree that smells good or is a particular color? Or do you need one with sturdy branches to hold heavy ornaments?
Below is a quick rundown of popular options.
- Noble fir: Features rigid branches ideal for heavy ornaments
- Fraser fir: Has excellent needle retention, which means less shedding (and less to vacuum)
- Douglas fir: An affordable option with soft needles
- Scotch pine: Has sturdy branches and is budget-friendly
- Balsam fir: Offers the strongest fragrance
- Blue spruce: Stands out with striking silver-blue needles, though they’re pretty sharp
- Nordmann fir: Has minimal aroma and resin, making it an allergy-friendly choice
- Eastern white pine: Offers soft, gentle needles perfect for families with young children
While it may seem like tree farms have an endless supply, they may sell only a certain number of a specific tree each year. And lots may order only a set number, and not receive a second shipment. If a farm or a lot is out of the tree you want, you’ll need a second choice.
Pre-Cut or Cut Your Own?
The last big question to answer at home: Do you want a pre-cut tree, or do you want to cut your own? Both are popular options.
According to the National Christmas Tree Association, approximately 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold each year in the U.S. Approximately 78% are purchased from tree lots, and 22% cut their own trees down.
There are pros and cons to each option, and like the type of tree, the choice comes down to personal preference.
The Pros of Tree Lots
- Convenient location
- No physical exertion
- No equipment needed
- May support local organizations, churches, or small businesses
The Cons of Tree Lots
- Trees aren’t as fresh
- Popular sizes and species sell out quickly
- Less of an experience
- Trees are often transported long distances
The Pros of Cutting Your Own
- Freshest tree possible
- More to choose from
- Creates lasting holiday memories
- Supports local farms
- Shorter transportation distance = smaller environmental footprint
The Cons of Cutting Your Own
- Takes more time
- Labor-intensive
- You’re outside in winter conditions
- Usually further away
- Popular farms are busy on weekends
The Westerns feel the No. 1 advantage of cutting your own is that “the selection is limitless, when you’re walking out in a field,” but the experience itself adds to it.
“I think when you’re going out to cut a tree in the field, it’s a whole different anticipation of an experience. You’re dressing for it. You’re gonna make sure you’re gonna take photos,” says Scott.
Jill adds, “It’s pretty touching…it’s a family experience, you know, to bring everybody together and to have those memories, (and we) get to be in the mix of all of it.”
View the Tree from All Angles
Walk around the tree, looking at it from every side. You want a tree that looks good from multiple angles, especially if it will be visible from different areas of your home. Look for bare patches, uneven growth, or flat spots that aren’t easily visible.
Town and Country Gardens “hang(s) them off the ground.” French says, “That way, people can see all sides of the trees.”
My Experience: I always tuck our tree in a corner, so I focus on what will end up being the front and sides. I can hide a hole or a wonky branch against the wall.
Inspect the Trunk
Make sure the trunk is reasonably straight, especially the bottom 6 to 8 inches. A crooked trunk will make the tree unstable in the stand and hard to position.
To help customers, Coates explained, “We tie sticks in the tops so that we can make sure they grow straight.”
The trunk also needs to be narrow enough to fit in your tree stand. Shaving it down removes the cambium layer underneath the bark, and your tree won’t take in water.
Check Pre-Cut Trees for Freshness
According to French, the best way is the pull test.
“Evergreens naturally have needle drop on the inside of the tree, so you can’t just look at needle drop in general. Take your hand and kind of grab the branch and pull along it, not against the grain. If you get a whole bunch of green needles that come off, then that tree hasn’t been stored properly. It’s drying out faster.”
Shake It Out
Pick up pre-cut trees and tap the trunk on the ground a couple of times.
It’s normal for dead needles to fall from the center of the tree, but you don’t want a lot to fall off the ends of the branches or for green needles to drop.
Scott Western of Western’s Tree Farm mentions that pine trees hold their needles for only 2 years, “so they have a lot of dead within them.” Spruces and firs “hold upwards of 5 years’ worth of needles, so there’s a lot less dead inside.”
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