Douglas fir Christmas tree: what to expect

Michigan State University's species guide rates Douglas fir good to excellent for needle holding in water. Penn State says good and Iowa State says very good. The catch is drying: Michigan State drops it to fair to good once it dries, while Fraser fir keeps a good rating. A Cornell Cooperative Extension guide sums it up: buy it fresh and keep it watered for the best needle holding.

For how many weeks a cut tree lasts in general, and how to tell when it's done, see our Christmas tree care guide.

Start with the stand. If the water dropped below the base of the trunk, our care guide explains why the tree stops drinking and how to fix it. Michigan State's ratings explain why a Douglas fir shows it sooner than a Fraser or noble fir: it holds its needles less well once dry.

Sometimes the tree arrived weak. Washington State University found that Douglas firs with Swiss needle cast, a fungal disease of the needles, dried about twice as fast on display. A fresh tree from a nearby farm, watered from day one, is your best bet.

Illinois Extension says its crushed needles give off one of the best aromas of any Christmas tree, and Iowa State calls the scent very good. Sources describe it differently: Penn State hears sweet and citrusy, while the Morton Arboretum says the crushed needles smell like camphor. Crush a few needles on the lot and decide for yourself.

UW-Madison suggests lighter ornaments because the branches are less stiff, and Iowa State says they can bend under heavy ones. Penn State rates them moderately stiff and says they may struggle with the very heaviest pieces. If you hang a lot of heavy glass, a stiffer tree such as a noble fir or Fraser fir is the safer pick. Penn State adds that a Douglas fir is naturally full and symmetrical.

• Needles that stay on: Iowa State rates noble fir excellent, and Washington State University says a watered noble fir can last about eight weeks. Douglas fir rates good.
• Branches: Illinois says noble fir's short, stiff branches suit heavier ornaments. Douglas fir's bend.
• Scent: Douglas fir has the stronger reputation. Iowa State calls both very good, and few other sources mention noble fir's scent at all.
• Needles: Douglas fir's are soft. Cornell says noble fir's aren't too sharp.
• Where they grow: both are native to the Pacific Northwest, and Oregon State University says they're the two most popular species on Oregon and Washington farms.

More on the other side: noble fir.

Most sources rate Fraser fir's needle holding excellent and Douglas fir's good, and Michigan State's dry ratings widen the gap. Fraser's branches are strong or stiff in most sources, while Douglas fir's bend. Both are full and cone shaped. The USDA Economic Research Service says Oregon and North Carolina together grew more than half of US Christmas trees in 2022. Douglas fir is one of Oregon's two main trees, per Oregon State University, and Fraser fir is North Carolina's, per NC State. More: Fraser fir, or compare all 16 trees.

The Morton Arboretum, Michigan State, Cornell and UW-Madison all point out that it isn't a true fir. NC State explains the name: Pseudotsuga joins the Greek for "false" with tsuga, the Japanese word for hemlock. People also call it Oregon pine, Douglas spruce and red fir, per NC State and the USDA Forest Service, so it gets mistaken for almost everything.

It's native to western North America, from British Columbia and Alberta south through the Rockies and Pacific states to Mexico, per the USDA Forest Service and NC State. The Morton Arboretum says it wants moist, well-drained, neutral to acid soil and dislikes hot, dry sites. NC State says it can't take heat and humidity and fails in North Carolina's Piedmont and Coastal Plain, though it grows well in the state's mountains.

A cut tree can't be planted. If you want one to plant after Christmas, read our potted vs cut Christmas tree guide first.