Canaan fir Christmas tree: pros and cons

Canaan fir grows wild in the high mountains of West Virginia and Virginia, per NC State Extension's Plant Toolbox and Michigan State University's species guide. It also goes by West Virginia balsam fir and bracted balsam fir.

Botanists name it Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis: Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts it as a variety of balsam fir, first described in 1909 and native to the Appalachian Mountains. The USDA PLANTS Database and NC State list it as a variety of balsam fir, Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis, and Michigan State calls it a variety of bracted balsam fir. It's a true fir (genus Abies), with the soft needles that come with it.

Pros

• Holds its needles. Penn State Extension says it holds needles exceptionally well if kept watered, and Iowa State Extension rates it excellent.
• Soft needles, per Penn State, University of Wisconsin Extension and NC State.
• Good looks. Dark green on top and silvery below (Penn State, Iowa State, Wisconsin, NC State), in a uniform pyramid (Penn State) that NC State describes as a densely branched cone.

Cons and question marks

• Thirsty at first. Penn State says Canaan and Fraser fir can take up even more water than other trees early on.
• Sheds once dry. Michigan State rates it only fair after drying.
• Scent: sources disagree. Penn State calls its scent light. Iowa State rates its fragrance excellent and NC State calls it highly fragrant, while Wisconsin calls it aromatic.
• Branches: sources disagree. Wisconsin says its branches are stiff and hold heavier ornaments. Penn State rates them moderately stiff, fine for most ornaments.

Penn State and Iowa State both put its needle holding at the top, and Wisconsin counts it among the best. Michigan State's guide rates it between good and excellent when the tree stands in water, and fair once it dries out. Because Penn State says Canaan fir can drink more water than most trees in its first days, a stand that ran dry overnight is its biggest risk.

For the step-by-step on a fresh cut, the right stand and how many weeks a real tree stays fresh, see our Christmas tree care guide.

• Looks. Both are dark green with silvery undersides and soft needles. See the Fraser fir page for its full profile.
• Needle holding. Canaan is rated excellent by Penn State and Iowa State. Fraser's rating ranges from good to excellent depending on the source, and Michigan State rates Fraser better once it dries (good, against fair for Canaan).
• Water. Penn State says both can drink even more water than other trees at first.
• On the farm. Michigan State says growers pick Canaan for sites too wet or too high in pH for Fraser, that it breaks bud later (which helps in frost pockets), and that it resists root rot moderately well. Cornell adds that growers like its root rot resistance. Wisconsin notes both are planted in the Midwest for their needle holding.
• Native home. Fraser grows wild on the high peaks of the southern Appalachians; Canaan, a little farther north in West Virginia and Virginia.

The USDA PLANTS Database and NC State name Canaan fir Abies balsamea var. phanerolepis, a variety of balsam fir. Side by side:

• Shape. Balsam is a narrow pyramid, good for tight spaces (Cornell). Canaan is a uniform, dense pyramid.
• Needle holding. Sources rate balsam good to excellent; Canaan, excellent. Both drop to fair in Michigan State's ratings once dry.
• Branches. Balsam's are flexible to moderately stiff; Canaan's, moderately stiff to stiff.
• Scent. Balsam's strong scent is its claim to fame. Canaan's is light according to Penn State and strong according to Iowa State and NC State.
• Native home. Balsam is a northern tree of the northeastern US and Canada; Canaan grows wild farther south, in West Virginia and Virginia.

Read more on our balsam fir page, or compare all 16 trees side by side.

NC State's Plant Toolbox lists USDA Hardiness Zones 3a to 6b and acidic soil, and says Canaan fir tolerates moist to occasionally wet soil. Michigan State agrees it's more adaptable than Fraser fir to wetter or higher pH sites. If you want a tree to plant after the holidays, it has to come potted or balled: read our cut vs potted Christmas tree guide first.