A person in a plaid shirt hands down a Fraser fir Christmas tree while unloading a truck full of trees
The vast majority of Christmas trees sold in the US are firs.
  • Some aspects of choosing a live Christmas tree, like shape, color, and aroma, are subjective.
  • But certain Christmas tree species are better at keeping their needles and holding ornaments.
  • Two Christmas tree experts explain how to choose between the many types of fir, pine, and spruce.

If you're going to buy a live Christmas tree this year, there's a good chance it will be a fir. In 2019, 71% of all trees sold were firs, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The top three varieties were Fraser, Douglas, and Noble.