Tips for Buying a Live Christmas Tree

There are a few tips that can make choosing the perfect Christmas tree a little easier. When buying a Christmas tree at the tree lot or Christmas tree farm, look for trees that are fresh. Live Christmas trees should have needles that are shiny and green. Fresh Christmas trees should be fragrant. Their needles shouldn't be brittle. The needles should be flexible if you touch them.

If the Christmas tree needles look brown or fall off easily, avoid buying that particular tree. Test this by grabbing a Christmas tree branch and running your hand over the branch. Very few needles should fall off as you run the branch through your fingers.

Another test for a fresh Christmas tree is to pick the tree up a little off the ground. Then let the trunk drop. See how many needles fall. If more than a few needles fall, skip this tree. If several trees fail this test, go somewhere else to buy a fresh Christmas tree.

Inspect the Christmas tree trunk as well. The trunk of the Christmas tree should be relatively straight. If the tree trunk is too crooked, you will never be able to level it once you get it home. Believe me, I learned this tip from experience. Also make sure that the tree trunk is healthy. It shouldn't be cracked or harbor any insects.

Believe it or not, it's probably better to choose a Christmas tree that isn't extremely full. If a Christmas tree is too full, it is difficult to hang ornaments on the tree. This is because the many branches don't offer empty space for the ornaments to hang. The Christmas ornaments end up lying on the tree branches instead of hanging straight down.

There are noticeable differences in Christmas tree types. The species available to you will largely depend upon your location. Eastern Red Cedar is popular in the south. Leyland Cypress and Virginia Pine are common Christmas trees in the east. The western region of the United States often has Fraser fir trees or California (Monterey) Pines.

Balsam Fir and Colorado Blue Spruce are both very popular Christmas tree types. Plan on buying your Christmas tree early if you want either of these Christmas tree species.