15 Best Types of Christmas Trees for Holiday Decorations

Canaan fir trees often get compared to Fraser and Balsam firs thanks to their similar growing patterns and branch density, but this variety does one thing better: needle retention. It sheds less than other firs, which means less cleanup for you.

A common home for many tree-nesting birds, including woodpeckers, the Eastern white pine is fluffy and fast growing. With foliage that's thin, delicate, and silvery-green, this tree is best for lightweight ornaments and minimal decorations.

A classic Christmas tree, the Noble fir is native to the Cascade and Pacific Coast mountain ranges of the northwestern United States. With strong branches, this tree ensures your precious family ornaments won't be at risk of falling, and the long peak is ideal for an oversize tree topper.

The Arizona cypress is the most drought-tolerant evergreen out there, which means that with the right care your Christmas tree can stay fresher longer than a more traditional evergreen. With its thick, layered branches and lacy silver-blue foliage, this tree is a beautiful alternative to the rare silver fir.

Fast-growing and conelike in shape, Leyland cypresses are more frequently used ias privacy plantings rather than as Christmas trees. However, this richly colored cypress tree grows almost everywhere in the United States, except for the northernmost parts of the Dakotas, Michigan, and Montana. If you have one in your yard, why not put lights on it?

You’ll find this bushy Christmas tree type primarily in Southern states, according to the Real Christmas Tree Board. Thanks to its stout branches, it should have no problem holding up your heavy ceramic snowflake ornaments. It also has a piney fragrance and keeps its needles throughout the season so long as you give it plenty of water to drink.

Also known as a red fir, these striking trees are one of the rarest types of Christmas trees, says horticulturist and botanical designer Nathan Henreich. They're slow growing, and only a few farmers and harvesters have permits in California and Oregon to harvest them in the wild each year, he explains. "The reason these trees make such perfect Christmas trees is because they have such perfectly spaced, open, elegant branches that make hanging ornaments and lights easy," Henreich says. Also, when this elegant tree dries out, he says, it doesn't shed its needles the way other trees do.

Like Miracle on 34th Street and peppermint hot chocolate, the balsam fir is a holiday classic. It's also the most fragrant of all types of Christmas trees, according to the Real Christmas Tree Board. You can find these at choose-and-cut farms in Canada, New England, the upper Great Lakes, and Pennsylvania, and at lots of retail locations east of the Rocky Mountains.

The Scotch pine often flies under the radar, but it's a designer favorite Christmas tree choice, and it has great needle retention."With vibrant green and durable needles that resist shedding, it's low maintenance," says New York designer Artem Kropovinsky of interior design studio Arsight. "Its robust branches accommodate even the heaviest ornaments, and its dense appearance gives rooms a fuller festive look."

The Fraser fir is a definite contender for America's top Christmas tree, especially for households east of the Rocky Mountains. Firs in general are one of the most common trees grown for the holiday season, says Ward Dilmore, founder of Petrus Landscaping in California—and for good reason: They have a perfect balance of deep green color and even, stiff branching, he says, which makes them a breeze to decorate.

The trees you see in lots often have been pruned and sheared into the quintessential Christmas tree shape, explains Lisa Tadewaldt, an ISA-certified arborist and owner of Portland, Oregon–based Urban Forest Professionals. She recommends getting a permit and cutting a tree that's native to your area down in the forest. In the Pacific Northwest, her favorite tree in its natural form is a grand fir. "It is going to give more Charlie Brown vibes than Hallmark Christmas vibes, but it has a flat needle pattern that gives it an air of elegance that balances out the thinner, more homespun branching pattern," she says.

With its signature cyan-tinted needles, the robust blue spruce has a full, triangular shape, says Kropovinsky. "Apart from its signature color, this tree releases a fresh scent similar to frosty woodlands," he says. Bonus for cat and dog owners: "Given the tree's pointed foliage, pets often steer clear of it."

With scalelike leaves and flexible twigs, the Eastern red cedar doesn't hold ornaments all that well. But don’t let that deter you if your heart is set on this hardy juniper because it looks great draped with lights, says ISA-certified master arborist Blake Watkins, operations partner at Monster Tree Service.

The Douglas fir is iconic in the Pacific Northwest. It can grow up to 200 feet tall, so being able to bring one indoors for the holidays is really cool, Watkins says. They're widely available nationwide and are actually one of the more affordable types of Christmas trees. "Dark green foliage and hanging needles make this tree gorgeous even without ornaments," he says.

The Concolor fir (also called the white fir) is the type of tree you'd like to sidle up next to with a mug of mulled wine. While many trees have pine scents, this one actually gives off a citrus aroma that has garnered it some devoted fans, according to the Michigan State University Extension. Looks-wise, its branches have long, silvery, blueish-green needles.