The fresh Pine Christmas tree
There are several species of pine used for Christmas tree purposes. In the UK and the US, the Scots pine is the type of pine commonly used – its strong branches, excellent needle retention, beautiful foliage and lovely fresh scent makes it a favourite at Christmas. However, young children need to be watched around this tree, as its needles are very sharp.
The Scots pine is the only pine Christmas tree native to Northern Europe, but today it only grows naturally in Scotland and is the country’s national tree. The Scots pine was introduced to the US by European settlers and became the most popular Christmas tree in America between the 1950’s and the 1980s. However, in recent times, it has been overtaken in terms of popularity by the Douglas fir and Fraser fir.
The Scots Pine Tree
The Lodgepole pine is another popular pine Christmas tree choice throughout the United States and Europe. Native to the Rocky Mountains, the Lodgepole pine was introduced to the UK in 1855 and is favoured for its excellent needle retention, striking green-yellow foliage and aromatic pine scent. The Lodgepole pine is also a very full tree, meaning it looks lovely when decorated.
The Scots pine and the Lodgepole pine are the two main species of pine used as Christmas trees, yet several other species are sometimes used in the U.S.
The Afghan pine is native to Afghanistan, but is grown in Texas for Christmas tree purposes. This has soft, short needles and sturdy branches, and a mild fragrance.
Ponderosa Pine Tree
The Austrian pine is used because it has a lovely fragrance and retains its needles well and the Red pine is favoured for its bushy foliage, whilst the Ponderosa pine has attractively long needles and good needle retention.
The Virginia pine has dark green foliage and strong branches on which to hang heavy ornaments, and, due to its aromatic fresh pine scent, it is a popular Christmas tree in the south. The White pine is the largest pine in the U.S. and is the state tree of both Maine and Michigan. It makes an attractive Christmas tree, with its soft blue-green full foliage and excellent needle retention, and it has very little fragrance, making it suitable for those who are allergic to the scent of fresh Christmas trees. One thing to bear in mind is that the branches of the White pine are very slender, meaning it can only be lightly decorated.
All the pine trees mentioned above are of the fresh kind, but there are artificial Christmas trees widely available in both America and Europe.
