How to Choose a Real Christmas Tree
Type of Christmas Tree to Choose
| Top Priority | Christmas Tree to Choose |
| Best Needle Retention | Nordmann Fir or Fraser Fir |
| Balsam Fragrance & Low Price | Norway Spruce |
| Good for White or Silver Decor Themes | Blue Spruce |
| Narrow Tree - Good for Smaller Rooms | Fraser Fir or Slim Shape Nordman |
| Grandeur Appearance | Noble Fir |
| Different and Unusual | Lodgepole Pine |
| Keeping in Garden after Christas | Pot Grown Christmas tree |
Real Fresh Cut Christmas Trees
Potted Christmas Trees
Nordmann Fir
Nordmann Fir is Britain’s favourite Christmas tree
- Most popular Christmas tree in the UK – about 75% of people choose one
- Excellent needle retention – will stay looking good for up to 5 weeks with the right care
- Symmetrical shape – “full” tree with a bushy habit
- Wide base – plenty of space to accommodate lots of presents! (narrower if you choose our ‘slim line’ version, ideal for smaller spaces)
- Child & Pet Friendly – soft, rounded needles, suitable for households with pets and children
- Strong branches, perfect for hanging lots of decorations
- Good choice if you suffer from allergies as needles have a waxy protective coating
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is the traditional Christmas tree with Christmassy fragrance
- Rich balsam fragrance, perfect for evoking the Christmas spirit!
- Best value for taller sized trees because it’s relatively fast growing
- Pyramid shape – more triangular shape than other varieties, broad base and bushy habit with red-brown bark
- Best taken indoors from mid-December onwards so it doesn’t shed too many needles by Christmas day
- Stiff central branch – ideal for your favourite Christmas fairy, angel or star
- Narrow, pointed needles – take care with pets and children who might find it spiky to touch
Blue Spruce
The perfect tree to act as a backdrop to silver and white décor themes
- Luxurious, dense foliage with tantalising steely blue needles
- Combines well with silver or white décor themes
- Strong needle retention – holds its needles for a month with the right care
- Lovely fresh pine scent – the perfect natural fragrance for Christmas
- Strong, sturdy branches, perfect for decorating without baubles falling to the floor
- Sharp needles – not recommended if you have babies or toddlers around the house
Fraser Fir
Our Favourite: Strong Needle Retention, Fragrant, Soft Needles, Slender Tree
- Joint best needle retention with Nordman Fir – keeps its needles for up to 5 weeks with the right care
- Narrow, slender tree – ideal for smaller rooms and corridors with branches angled up at 45 degrees
- Delicious zesty orange fragrance – perfect for bringing the festive spirit into your home
- Soft needles that are child and pet friendly with a beautiful silvery hue on the undersides
- Strong branches – perfect if you love covering your tree in lots of decorations, including weightier baubles etc
Noble Fir
Christmas tree with grandeur; tall Noble Firs are perfect for large rooms
- Symmetrical shape – carefully trimmed to a symmetrical shape with whorled branches and flattened foliage
- Unique, bi-coloured needles – unique, upcurved, blue-green needles with streaks of white running along the full length of the underside of the needles
- Citrus scent – distinct, citrus fragrance sometimes described as similar to yuzu
- Strong needle retention - holds its needles well for up to a month with the right care
- Pet & Toddler Friendly - flat needles, rounded at the ends so won’t prick your pet, baby or toddler.
Nordman Fir Slim Shape
Slimmer version of the popular Nordman Fir tree, ideal for smaller spaces
- Slimmer than the typical Nordman Fir, perfect for smaller spaces.
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Carefully pruned to maintain a compact, symmetrical tree that's still bushy and 'full' to the top of the tree.
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Excellent needle retention - renowned for holdings its needles for up to 5 weeks
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Child & Pet Friendly - soft, rounded needles, suitable for households with children and pets
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Subtle sent - muted pine scent; a more subtle fragrance than Norway Spruce trees
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Britain’s Favourite tree - Nordman Fir is the best selling tree in the UK and for good reason
Lodgepole Pine
A unique tree with a rustic appearance, perfect for standing out from the crowd
- Stand out from the crowd: If you’re looking for something different to the norm, the Lodgepole Pine has a striking appearance with upright branches and beautiful long needles
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Delicious pine scent - gorgeous coniferous aroma, perfect for raising the Christmas spirit!
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Strong needle retention - holds its needles well for up to a month with the right care
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Broad base: Bushy habit, wide at the base. Perfect for adding grandeur to medium to large size rooms
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Lodgepole?: The name ‘Lodgepole’ comes from the way these trees were used as the main structure for lodges and teepees, build initially by native Americans and later by Europeans
Pot Grown Christmas Trees
Plant your tree in the garden or put it on the patio after Christmas
- Pot grown trees are carefully nurtured on our nursery and supplied in a plastic pot so you can put it in the garden or keep it on the patio after Christmas and enjoy your tree for many years to come
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Perfect choice for families with babies or children (especially their first Christmas) so their first Christmas tree can continue to live on and you can watch the tree grow with them
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Our pot grown trees are genuinely grown in a pot since young, meaning they are well rooted into the pot and retain moisture well. Not to be confused with trees that have been field grown and put in a pot for Christmas that dry out much more easily
How to check the quality of Christmas trees
Christmas trees should be fresh when bought. There are a number of things you can check:
1) Make sure the needles are bright and shiny, not dry, dull, browning or withering, particularly if buying in mid to late December. Colouration of the needles should be even across the tree; any grey sections are a sign of dehydration.
2) Outer branches should be flexible when bent gently upwards. If they are brittle and snap easily, the tree is too dry. Think about the decorations you will be using, such as ornaments and strings of lights, and consider whether the branches feel sturdy enough to hold them.
3) Give your chosen Christmas tree a shake to see how many needles fall to the floor. Some loss of internal needles is a normal part of the life cycle of a conifer and occurs because the tree is preparing itself for winter but needles on the outer part of the tree should not fall off.
4) Drop the tree onto its base from 1 foot (30cm) above the ground. There should not be excessive loss of needles particularly at the ends of branches on healthy trees.
5) Run your hand along a couple of the branches, starting at the trunk and ideally wearing gloves for protection. If you find yourself with a handful of needles it's started shedding excessively already and should be avoided.
6) If choosing your own tree from a nursery, bend a needle between your thumb and forefinger. It should form a "U" shape without breaking, unless the needles are frozen.
7) Compare the weights of different trees of the same size and branch density. Trees that are heavier are healthier because it shows the tree was cut more recently. After the tree is cut, it no longer produces sap and will gradually get lighter from that point, even if put in water.
8) Check the smell of your tree. Healthy spruce trees will have a rich coniferous fragrance whilst Nordmann Firs don't have much of a scent. A musty odour from either type of tree is a bad sign.
9) Shape, size and style of tree are personal preference but it's generally recognised that bushier trees with a wide base and straight central stem or "leader" are more preferable.
10) Make sure the diameter of the trunk will fit into your tree stand, ideally without lopping chunks off the side of the trunk which is not ideal for the health of your tree.
11) Ask the retailer whether they grow their own trees or buy them from elsewhere and if bought in when they are delivered. At Jackson's our trees are grown on site and cut or dug fresh over the festive season.
Contact Us for Advice
We know choosing the right Christmas tree can be a bit confusing at times, so we're here to help. Feel free to contact us at sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk or on 01782 502741 Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm if you have any questions.
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