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 Abies nordmanniana is slow growing in its early years and does best in a mild maritime climate; many are grown commercially in Ireland. Another fir that makes a good Christmas tree is the noble fir, Abies procera, from the Pacific Northwest of the USA. But it transplants badly, and will not thrive on alkaline or wet soils, although its bushy habit and blue tinted needles make it an attractive proposition. Geoff Locke suggests several other fir species as possibilities: Abies fraseri, as a faster growing alternative to Abies nordmanniana; Abies grandis, also a fast grower, with soft, lemon scented needles, suitable only for deep moist soils, and Abies koreana.
Of the spruces, three have appeared commercially as Christmas tree possibles: Picea omorika, Picea orientalis and Picea pungens. The first, a splendid garden tree, has the same growth rate as the Norway spruce but a narrower habit. It does well on thin limestone soils but not so well on wet ones. Picea orientalis, says Geoff Locke, makes 'the perfect Christmas tree', with short needles and a compact habit. It is slow growing, like the familiar blue spruce, Picea pungens glauca, which has the advantage of being more tolerant of dry conditions than Picea abies. |
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Abies nordmanniana is one of the best firs for garden planting in Britain, making a fine dense crown. If the soil is somewhat acidic and well drained, Abies procera is also magnificent, with bluish needles against silver bark, the cones borne by even quite young trees, an added bonus. The widely sold Abies koreana also bears cones when young, and is particularly good for the smaller garden, reaching no more than 30 feet (10m). For blue foliage Abies concolor 'Violacea' is a good choice, but does tend to suffer from aphids.
 Of the spruces, Picea pungens glauca is popular for its blue foliage, although it suffers from aphids and red spider. 'Koster' and 'Hoopsii' both have superior silver blue foliage. Picea orientalis has dense foliage and bright red male flowers in spring.
Far and away the most interesting is the Serbian spruce, Picea omorika. An endangered spieces in the wild, it is used to cover much of Europe before the last Ice Age, but is now restricted to the former Yugoslavia. Its narrow, elegant profile makes it ideal for small gardens and its tolerance of urban environments makes it a valuable ornamental conifer and the perfect year round Christmas tree. |
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