Consumer Resources

Christmas trees offer consumers a great opportunity to buy local because Michigan ranks as the third leading producer in the nation. Michigan’s climate and soils allow our Christmas tree growers to produce a wider variety of trees than any other state, offering a variety of shapes, colors and even scents to choose from. The most common Christmas tree species produced in Michigan are Fraser fir, Scotch pine, Colorado blue spruce, Douglas-fir, Concolor fir and Canaan fir. Each of these species has characteristics that make it well-suited to grow under Michigan conditions and contributes to its suitability as a Christmas tree.

Consumer Resources:

Michigan Fresh - Michigan Christmas trees
Choosing the right tree
Selecting and bringing the tree home
Caring for your farm grown Christmas tree
Living Christmas trees

Michigan Fresh – Michigan Christmas Trees

Michigan Fresh - Michigan Christmas Tree

Choosing the right tree

Michigan farms and tree lots offer an array of great Christmas tree choices. whether you look for a pre-cut tree at a local tree lot or bundle up the family for the choose-and-cut experience, you will find a wide variety of tree types that offer something for everyone. To help you pick the perfect tree Michigan State University Extension has developed a description of the main types of trees grown in Michigan. You can also visit the ANR N:15 YouTube channel for help finding the right tree variety for your family.

Choosing the right Christmas tree

Selecting and bringing the tree home

Selecting the perfect Christmas tree can be a fun and memorable tradition, particularly if you take into account some important considerations. Before setting out to get your tree, determine where in your house the tree will be located, the size of tree you need and whether all sides will be displayed. When selecting a precut tree, make sure that the tree is fresh by testing how firmly the needles are attached to the branches. The easiest way to evaluate this is to lightly grasp the branch of the tree and gently pull the branch and needles through your hand. If the tree is fresh, very few needles will come off. Of course, if you are cutting a tree yourself, you will still want to look the tree over carefully for signs of overall quality. Needles should not shed easily or be discolored.

For safety, place the Christmas tree well away from heat registers, space heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, televisions and other heat and ignition sources. When using decorations or trimmings, always keep small children and pets in mind, and make sure the tree is sturdily mounted in its stand. Electric lights should be checked thoroughly for safety and defects before use by looking for frayed wires, broken sockets or loose connections. Use only UL approved electrical decorations and extension cords. Do not leave tree lights on when the tree is unattended.

Buying your first farm-grown Christmas Tree

Caring for your farm grown Christmas tree

If given proper care, a fresh Christmas tree should last the entire holiday season without becoming excessively dry or dropping a large number of needles. Be sure to place the tree in water as soon as possible and keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources such as furnace vents and radiators. If the tree was cut more than a day before you purchased it, you should trim a 1- to 2-inch piece off the bottom of the trunk so the tree can readily take up water. This helps ensure continued quality. Be sure the container holds enough water, and refill it often, making sure the water does not fall below the level of the trunk bottom. Cut Christmas trees will absorb a surprising amount of water, particularly during the first week. Generally, trees will use 1 quart of water per inch of trunk diameter, so a tree with a 4-inch diameter trunk may use more than 1 gallon per day. Though there are many commercial products and home remedies claimed to help keep a tree fresh, research has shown that the best additive is just plain water and plenty of it.

Water is the essential ingredient in keeping your farm grown Christmas tree fresh

Living Christmas Trees

Live, container-grown Christmas trees provide consumers with a real tree option that can be planted into their landscapes following the holidays. Many types of Christmas trees commonly grown in Michigan also make attractive landscape trees. In order to have the best success with a living Christmas tree, Michigan State University Extension recommends following these guidelines.