Christmas Tree Choices

 If you celebrate Christmas, there are three choices – artificial, cut, or living trees for planting outdoors after the holidays.

Artificial Christmas trees are just that – artificial but due to allergies, some people have to go that route. Cut trees primarily come from farms that grow trees for that purpose. Fraser fir and noble fir are the two most popular cut trees but the varieties grown in Texas include Virginia pine, Afghan pine (Eldarica), Leyland cypress and Eastern red cedar. With exception of Virginia pine, these can all be purchased as living trees and planted after the holidays. The very best living trees are Eastern red cedar and Austrian pine. Rosemary is an excellent choice for small spaces. Remember to set the living tree up in the house just before Christmas and plant outdoors immediately after removing the ornaments.

The very best living tree choice for Texas and other alkaline soil areas is Italian stone pine. The three photos show the young tree as sold for Christmas, the soft foliage developing in adolescent trees and the graceful beauty of the mature tree. Give it a try if you have room.