By Chad Campbell

Farming cycles out of the spotlight after harvest, yet many families make their most calculated and celebrated plant purchase every winter. The Education Store contains digital and physical resources on a wide range of subjects. The publications are authored by experts on each topic, among them recently retired professor of forestry and natural resources, Daniel Cassens. He also served as the Extension wood products specialist.

This year, Cassens celebrates 40 years since he began operations at his tree farm in West Lafayette. Cassens Trees won the Indiana Grand Champion Tree contest for the third time in 2015. His expertise led Cassens to write Selecting an Indiana-Grown Christmas Tree, a publication available for free download. Much of the information in this guide stems from there.

Scotch Pine

Scotch Pine Sketch

+ Very easy to care for

+ Excellent needle retention

+ Holds heavy ornaments

• Lasting pine smell

• Most common species

• Range of colors

Branch of a Scotch Pine

Eastern White Pine

White Pine Sketch

+ Better for allergies

+ Soft needles

+ Excellent needle retention

• Little aroma

• Popular

• Blue to silver green

- Weakest branches

Sketch of a white pine branch

Douglas Fir

Douglass Fir Sketch

+ Soft needles

• Fragrant

• Popular

• Short needles

 

• Dark or blue green

- Low branch strength

-Lower needle retention than other traditional trees

 

Douglass Fir Branch

Fraser Fir

Fraser Fir

+ Excellent needle retention

+ Upturned branches for easy transport

+ Stiff branches

+ Extremely full

• Fragrant

• Short needles

• Dark, silvery green

-Fullness causes decorating to be limited to branch tips

Scketch of a Fraser Fir Branch

Canaan Fir

Sketch of a Canaan Fir

+ Excellent needle retention

• Fragrant

• Very similar to Fraser Fir

 

• Dark green

• Short needles

- Low branch strength

 

Canaan Fir Branch Sketch

Concolor (White) Fir

Concolor Fir Sketch

+ Excellent needle retention

+ Stiff branches

• Variety of colors

• Citrus smell

• Uncommon

• Silvery blue

Concolor Fir Branch Sketch

Blue Spruce

Blue Spruce Sketch

+ Stiff branches

+ Natural symmetry

• Pungent

• Common landscaping or living Christmas tree

• Unique blue color

- Very sharp needles

- Needs water quickly after cutting

-Low needle retention

 

Blue Spruce Branch Sketch

Norway Spruce

Norway Spruce Sketch

+ Stiff branches

• Pungent

• Common tree in landscaping, wind breaking, or as a living Christmas tree

 

• Lighter green

- Needs water quickly after cutting

-Low needle retention

 

Norway Spruce Branch Sketch