Scotch Pine
A favorite among Midwest consumers, the Scotch Pine tree remains widely popular. It typically takes about 6-8 years to reach the 7-8 foot height of a fully-grown Christmas tree. The Scotch Pine thrives on sandier soils and does not require fertilizer. The Scotch Pine has a bright green color, excellent needle retention and will remain fresh throughout the holiday season.
Needles
The needles of a Scotch Pine are long, approximately one to three inches in length and are attached two at a time to the stem. They are slightly prickly. Scotch pine have excellent needle retention and unlike the needles of spruces, when dried out the needles tend to remain on the branch.
Best for
The Scotch Pine does all the heavy lifting. It has wide-spaced branches that are very stiff and better suited for heavy ornaments. If bigger, bolder lights are your taste, this tree can showcase them easily. Since branches are quite full, displaying delicate or smaller ornaments might not be ideal for these full, sturdy branches. Scotch Pines are moderately fragrant and create that gentle, pleasant pine smell.
White Pine
Similar to the Scotch Pine, the White Pine is also a favorite for its full branches and long needles. In fact, the White Pine has the longest needles at nearly 3-5 inches in length. The White Pine grows well with little fertilization needed and grows to full size in about 6-8 years. The soft green color is the trademark of this tree, and its sticky sap maintains its own unique fragrance, perhaps just slightly stronger than a Scotch Pine.
Needles
White Pine needles are long (nearly 3-5 inches) and very soft. They are attached to branches in bundles of 5 needles. It makes a soft full tree and the needles are retained well on the branch.
Best for
Because the branches and needles of a White Pine are soft and full, this is an excellent tree for displaying light ornaments and light-weight lights. They are not well-suited for heavy ornaments or lights.
Fraser Fir
Out of all the varieties of Christmas trees, the Fraser Fir is considered very fragrant and with beautiful coloring. The Fraser Fir is a dark green tree with a silver coloring on the underside of the needle adding depth of color when displaying. The Fraser Fir requires a bit more care as it grows. While the Scotch Pine and White Pine both take 6-8 years to reach Christmas tree size, the Fraser Fir often takes a little longer at 7-10 years. This is due to needing more resources to flourish, like fertilizer and frequent mowing of surrounding vegetation.
Needles
The needles of a Fraser Fir are short and soft to the touch. These needles have a unique blend of dark green with silver tone underneath the needle, making it look vibrant and colorful. The strength of this tree is that it holds needles exceptionally well. Stiff branches are the Fraser Firs trademark making them easy to hold all types of ornaments. Branches are also more open so you can display ornaments easily.
Best for
A Fraser Fir is your all-purpose tree and you can’t go wrong with it.It holds all types of ornaments big and small, light and heavy. The tree has the space to showcase ornaments well, and to display lights brightly. The effort it takes to grow a Fraser Fir is worth the energy after you see its blend of dark green and silver coloring. With solid needle retention, you will spend more time enjoying this tree than cleaning up after it.