When a needle is removed from the branch, a distinctive disklike scar is left on the branch. Another distinguishing characteristic between the pine and firs is their cones. Also, the cone of the fir disintegrates and releases its ripe seeds, leaving its upright axis on the tree. West Cutting a Christmas tree is a fun family activity. After a drive of 200 miles, a flat tire, and an uphill trek through a wet slushy snow, we opted in later years to cut a tree at a tree farm or buy one already cut.
Tree farms offer a wide variety of evergreens.
This year we purchased a Douglas Fir. However, the Douglas Fir is not a fir tree at all. The Douglas fir is classified in genus Pseudotsuga of the family Pinaceae. It is one of the best timber trees in North America and is used for reforestation along the Pacific Coast. The first seeds are produced at about 25 years with large crops every five to seven years.