- December 18, 2024 - Jardin botanique : Secrets of plants
Since time immemorial we’ve been using attractive plants to decorate our homes when various festivities come around. In December, certain ones take center stage: the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima), European holly (Ilex aquifolium), the Florist’s cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) and of course the famous “Christmas tree.” Here’s an overview of the varieties of Christmas tree used here and elsewhere.
The “true” Christmas tree…
Extensively present in Europe, the silver fir (Abies alba) seems to have been the first tree used as a Christmas tree, in 1521 in Alsace. Today, the Nordmann fir (Abies nordmanniana) is very popular on the European continent as a Christmas tree. In Québec, the two most widely grown species are the balsam fir (Abies balsamea), a native of our forests, and the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri), which grows naturally in the southeastern United States. As its name indicates, the balsam fir produces a highly aromatic resin that fills our homes with fragrance. The Fraser fir, the most widely grown Christmas tree among our southern neighbors, is gaining in popularity in the province. It has less of an aroma, but it keeps its needles longer.
A touch of exoticism for Christmas?
The choice of tree to brighten up our interiors during the holiday season isn’t limited to the 50 or so species of fir found all around the world. Other conifer genera are sometimes used here and elsewhere as substitutes, among them the Norway spruce (Picea abies), the Blue spruce (Picea pungens), the Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and the Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica), as well as certain junipers (Juniperus sp.) and pines (Pinus sp.). If you’re more interested in exotic smaller Christmas trees, think about the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla), a native of Oceania, or a magnificent Monterey cypress cultivar (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa “Goldcrest”) with lime green leaves, a species that hails from the Monterey Peninsula in California.
There’s a huge choice available these days: simply pick out what suits you best and add some decorations.
Happy horticultural holidays!
