Christmas trees are part of the Christmas tradition. Common trees used for this are species of evergreen coniferous trees, which can be placed either inside the house or outdoors and decorated with ornaments.
The most common species of evergreen used as Christmas trees are firs, because of its ability to retain its needles, scent, and foliage colour even if it has already dried out. In northern Europe, other species that are used include Silver Fir, Nordmann Fir, and Noble Fir. In America, the most common types include Douglas Fir, Balsam Fir, and Fraser Fir. Spruce trees are also used but to a lesser degree because it sheds sharp needles, which makes decorating hard. Meanwhile, the Eastern White Pine is seldom used because of its faded winter colour and limp branches. In Australia, potted living Christmas trees of the Adenanthos sericeus species are commercially sold.
Commercially available trees are either sold with roots and soil, in a container, or as topiary. Usually, trees that are being used as indoor decoration have a lower chance of surviving because of the higher temperature and root loss, which causes a suspension in tree growth. To lengthen the dormancy, the tree should be placed far from a warm place because heat reduces the humidity around the tree.
In previous years, the main source of Christmas trees was the wild forest but with the advancement of tree farms, almost all of Christmas trees are grown and harvested on farms. It takes about 8-12 years for a Christmas tree to grow from a seed to an older tree of 2 metres. Meanwhile, the development of the tree depends on growth conditions and its cultivation.
On the subject of Christmas, these personalised usb sticks make a great present to go underneath your traditional tree.
|