21 Christmas Tree Types and How to Pick The Right One for You

Balsam Fir

Most Fragrant Christmas Tree: Look no further than balsam fir for that home-for-the-holidays aroma that lasts all season long. Among the most popular Christmas trees, balsam fir has dark green needles and good needle retention. These trees also have an excellent pyramidal form and a slender, spire-like top that's perfect for holding a star.

Scots Pine

Best Christmas Tree for Needle Retention: Scots pine, also called Scotch pine, is another popular variety and a favorite of traditionalists. Its dark green needles don't fall off even when dry, keeping your floors clean throughout the holiday season. Its stiff branches form a dense crown and hold ornaments well, and if that's not enough, Scots pine is among the more affordable Christmas tree selections.

Fraser Fir

Best Christmas Tree for Ornaments: Fraser fir has many of the same characteristics as balsam fir, including a wonderful scent and good needle retention. Strong, well-spaced branches hold even the heaviest ornaments and produce a nicely shaped crown. The needles are green to blue-green on top with silver undersides, giving it a frosty appearance.

Douglas Fir

Fullest Christmas Tree: The soft, dark green needles of Douglas fir radiate from branches in all directions, giving these trees a full, dense appearance. Its branches aren't as strong as the other firs', so lighter-weight ornaments suit it better. Still, these Douglas firs have good needle retention and a pleasant aroma, and they're another economical choice for the budget-minded.

Blue Spruce

Bluest Christmas Tree: Blue spruce is the Christmas tree of choice for those looking for blue foliage, but that fabulous color comes with a trade-off, as spruce trees generally don't last as long as firs. Wait until it's closer to Christmas to set this tree type up, and wear gloves and long sleeves when decorating, as its blue-gray needles are quite sharp. On the plus side, blue spruce has a good symmetrical form, strong branches, and the best needle retention among spruce varieties.

White Fir

Most Citrusy-Smelling Christmas Tree: The white fir—also called the concolor fir—is a great choice for those wanting the color of a spruce with the staying power of a fir. But its biggest draw is its fresh, citrusy fragrance. Its needles vary from powdery green to blue-green, they're longer than other species, and they have excellent retention. Rather than clusters, the white fir's needles are arranged in neat rows, lending a nice full appearance to this tree's pyramidal shape.

Alberta Spruce

Best Small Potted Christmas Tree for Apartments: Bring Christmas cheer to small spaces with a potted Alberta spruce. Its perfect pyramid form and crisp fragrance provide a miniature version of the quintessential Christmas tree.

Dress a potted Alberta spruce up with ribbons and bells or a simple burlap wrap and red bow around the pot. Look for a dwarf Alberta spruce to decorate tabletops, desks, and mantels; plus, they make a great holiday gift.

Leyland Cypress

Best Christmas Tree for Allergy Sufferers: Many Southerners are familiar with Leyland cypress, one of the more common species found on U-cut tree farms in the Southeast. It's a great choice for those allergic to more traditional Christmas trees because it has very little aroma and doesn't produce allergy-causing compounds.

Leyland cypress has bright green foliage and doesn't drop needles like other trees. On the downside, even though this tree has good form, its branches can't hold heavy ornaments.

White Pine

Best Christmas Tree to Have Around Pets: Needles dropped by Christmas trees can be a hazard to pets (and young children). Sharp needles hurt tender paws and can cut your dog or cat’s mouth and stomach lining if ingested, so pet owners should consider a species with soft flexible needles, like white pine.

The white pine's blue-green needles grow 3 to 5 inches long and have good retention. This species also has little aroma, which is ideal for allergy sufferers. Its branches are not as strong as firs', so decorating with heavy ornaments is not recommended.

Noble Fir

Most Adaptable Christmas Tree: The noble fir has a slightly narrower profile than other trees on this list, making it a good Christmas tree for small spaces. It also grows very tall and is commonly used to decorate two-story entryways or rooms with cathedral ceilings.

A beautiful selection with blue-green to silvery-green needles, this long-lasting Christmas tree has stiff branches for decorating and great staying power. Due to its excellent needle retention, noble fir branches are commonly used for wreaths, swags, and garlands.

Canaan Fir

Easiest Christmas Tree to Maintain: Combining the fragrance of balsam fir and the needle retention of Frasier fir, a Canaan fir just might be the perfect Christmas tree, so it's no wonder that this new, noteworthy variety is growing in popularity. As with any live Christmas tree, make sure to keep its stand full of fresh, clean water to maintain freshness and make your tree last as long as possible.

Grand Fir

Best Christmas Tree for Minimal Decorations: As its name implies, the Grand Fir is one of the tallest firs, growing to over 200 feet high. That's not advantageous when considering this Pacific Northwest native as a fresh-cut Christmas tree, but this grand tree type has other attributes to brag about.

This fir's glossy needles—short and soft to the touch—are ornamental on their own and look best with minimal decorations, allowing the beauty of this tree to shine through. It also has the grand fragrance of a traditional Christmas tree but with strong citrusy notes.

White Spruce

The Whitest Christmas Tree: Like the blue spruce, many choose this Christmas tree type for its needle color, which isn't exactly white but a blue-green that approaches gray. It has other traits similar to its blue cousin that make it a smart Christmas tree selection: a natural-looking shape, as well as short, stiff needles with superior retention properties that are conducive to ornament hanging.

Here's the downside: The white spruce is known for its aroma, but not in a good way. When its needles are crushed, they emit an unpleasant smell, earning it the unfortunate nickname of "skunk spruce."

Norway Spruce

Most Iconic Christmas Tree: If you're not familiar with this tree type, just think of the iconic tree displayed at the Rockefeller Center in New York City because it's probably a Norway Spruce. Traditional and classic, it's chosen for its weeping pendulous shape and bright green, bristle-brush needles.

Due to a propensity to drop its needles, the Norway spruce is not the choice for those who prefer a prolonged Christmas season. Once cut, the Norway spruce needs consistent watering—at least daily—to keep it looking fresh and deter needle drop. Nevertheless, if you prefer to put up a tree a week before Christmas (or later) and take it down early, this tree's for you.

Eastern Red Cedar

Christmas Tree With the Most Eye-Catching Texture: Its name is deceiving because an Eastern red cedar isn't a cedar at all—but a juniper. Nevertheless, it is native to the Eastern U.S. and makes for a unique-looking Christmas tree.

Eastern red cedars have scalelike, pliable leaves and flexible twigs that make holding ornaments problematic. On the other hand, this tree's dense, green needles make a dramatic backdrop for draped garlands and strings of lights. These trees dry out quickly, so if this one's your choice, make sure to give yours plenty of water.

Korean Fir

Most Exotic Christmas Tree: If you haven't heard of this tree type, you're in good company, but the popularity of this Asian native as a Christmas tree is growing. It carries that pyramidal shape we expect in a fresh-cut tree, and it has distinctive short bicolored needles: dark green tops with striking silvery undersides.

Subalpine Fir

Most Unusual Christmas Tree: If you consider yourself a Christmas tree connoisseur, you might be interested in this out-of-the-box tree type. Native to the western U.S. and Canada, the subalpine fir has a compact, pyramidal form and bluish needles that make for a beautiful fresh-cut display. For an even bluer hue, look for this tree type's corkbark variety.

Nordmann Fir

Best Low-Scent Christmas Tree: There's so much to love about the Nordmann fir, it's no wonder Europe's most popular Christmas tree is gaining in the U.S., too. It's among the longest-lasting for needle retention, and it has a beautiful, symmetrical shape with strong branches suitable for hanging heavy ornaments.

What sets the Nordmann fir apart is that its base tends to be longer than most, which is great for showing off a decorative tree skirt and allowing plenty of room for piles of gifts. It's not nearly as fragrant as other firs, so it doesn't compete with other Christmas scents emanating from candles, incense, or the kitchen.

Arizona Cypress

Best Slim Christmas Tree: True to its name, this tree is native to Arizona but today grows in many southern states. It sports a tall conical shape and pale, gray-green needles that make it an offbeat choice in contrast to classically shaped Christmas trees. Not known for producing a strong scent, the Arizona cypress is equally suitable for minimalist decorators and maximalists.

Virginia Pine

Best Small Christmas Tree: Unless you're decorating a room with an 18-foot ceiling, the humble Virginia pine—known for its small stature and short branches—could be just the thing. As you might guess, you're more likely to find this tree type in the South.

The Virginia pine's stout branches stand up well to ceramic ornaments, its needles stay intact throughout the season, its piney fragrance fills the room, and it's often the lowest-priced choice on the lot. The only downside to this near-perfect tree is that it's quite sappy, so handling it with long sleeves and gloves is recommended if you don't want to be covered in tree sap.

Silvertip Fir

Rarest Christmas Tree: Also known as a red fir or a California red fir, these make great Christmas trees because they're perfectly spaced with open, elegant branches that make stringing lights and hanging ornaments a breeze. Also, they don't readily shed their needles, so a daily cleanup isn't required.

The reason the silvertip fir is so rare is that it's slow-growing and native to the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where access to them is difficult and costly. Few permits have been issued for harvesting these trees in the wild, typically found growing at high elevations in California and Oregon.