Choosing A Tree with Doug's Christmas Tree Explorer™

Use Doug’s Christmas Tree Explorer™ below by clicking on column headers to sort and select trees that match your preferences. Hover over an button below to see more information about a subject. Most tree shoppers feel that choosing a tree is a very personal endeavor — one that involves selecting the tree with just the right shape, size and smell. However, most of those same shoppers may not be aware of the full diversity of trees on the market. Indeed, each year Fraser firs and Douglas-firs comprise an increasing marjority of the market and once-popular other species, such as the Scotch pine, are found less at retail lots and are increasingly found only at choose-and-harvest farms or even tree nurseries. Nevertheless, these other trees are out there and very much worthy of continued interest. Below, use Doug’s Tree Explorer™ — the first of its kind — to explore the diversity of attributes among America’s top 10 trees. Arm yourself with knowledge and find the tree that’s right for you.

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Species	Leaf-type	Fragrance	Color	Needle Retention	Softness	Branch Stiffness	Avg. Needle Length (inches)	Availability	Cultural Notes
Cypress, Arizona	scale	5	5	4	3	2	0.1	1	none
Cypress, Leyland	scale	2	2	5	4	1	0.1	2	none
Douglas-fir	needle	4	2-4	4	4	4	1.3	5	state tree (Oregon)
Fir, concolor	needle	4	5	4	5	4	2.5	3	none
Fir, Fraser	needle	4	3	5	5	4	0.7	5	Presidential favorite
Pine, Scotch	needle	2	3	4	3	3	2.5	2	Ralphie’s tree
Pine, white	needle	2	1	4	5	3	3.5	4	state/provincial tree (Maine, Michigan, Ontario)
Red-cedar	scale	5	1	4	3	2	0.1	1	the wood of cedar chests and the namesake of Baton Rouge
Spruce, Colorado blue	needle	3	4-5	2	1	5	0.7	3	state tree (Colorado, Utah)
Spruce, Norway	needle	3	1	2	2	3	0.5	2	none
Species	Leaf-type	Fragrance	Color	Needle Retention	Softness	Branch Stiffness	Avg. Needle Length (inches)	Availability	Cultural Notes