Forestry Commission - Christmas

Norway Spruce - the most traditional looking Christmas tree - has a mid-green colour, a fine, delicate foliage and a distinctive 'Christmassy' scent.

Nordman fir - has distinctive broad, bold green needles with whitish underside.

Lodgepole pine - a cheerful green colour, tinged slightly with yellow, and a sharp fragrance.

Scots pine - a really fragrant native conifer with an attractive blue-green foliage and soft needles.

What you say about REAL Christmas trees

Families buying their real Christmas trees at Delamere Forest Park, took part in a special Forest Life consumer survey, scoring their tree from 1-5. The six families made their selection from different types of tree and gave top marks to the Lodgepole pine, with its cheerful green colour and a sharp fragrance:

(Two families tested each tree type, giving combined overall scores)	Norway Spruce		Nordman Fir		Lodgepole Pine
How well did it keep its needles over the Christmas period?	3	2	5	4	5	5
How spiky were the needles?	3	5	5	3	5	4
How did you rate the overall shape of the tree?	4	4	5	5	5	4
Were the branches easy to decorate?	4	4	5	2	5	5
How pleasant was the smell?	3	no scent	2	4	5	3
Individual tree score	17	15	22	18	25	21
Overall scores	32		40		46

Choosing your tree

What you say about REAL Christmas trees