Dan's Papers - December 14, 2007

An essential part of any holiday celebration is choosing the right Christmas tree. But how do you choose with so many options? First you must make the critical decision - live or artificial tree?

If a live tree is for you, the next step is heading out to the Christmas tree lot to pick a tree. Lucky you, New York is one of the top Christmas tree producing states meaning we get fresher trees than other areas of the county.

Picking the Christmas tree has always been one of my favorite traditions. I, like many people, have fond memories of going with my father to select the perfect live tree from the Christmas tree lot. I was always eager to take on the challenge of finding a tree that was tall, round, and symmetrical with no holes. It was a bonus if the needles were soft and would poke you while you hung ornaments. Always ask the seller when the tree was cut, the fresher the tree the longer it lasts. Also run your hand along one of the branches and if it loses a lot of needles move on. Check if the lot has a tree shaker, this helps get rid of any spiders, mold or pollen in the tree.

However if you are interested in a more old fashioned experience, head to the North Fork and cut your own tree at one of the several tree farms. I suggest Dart's Tree Farm at 2355 Bayview Ave in Southold or Shamrock Christmas Tree Farm on Main Road in Mattituck. If you would rather head west check out Matt's Christmas Tree Farm located at 309 Weeks Avenue in Manorville.

The best selling Christmas trees, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, are: Scotch Pine, Douglas Fir, Noble Fir, Fraser Fir, Virginia Pine, Balsam Fir and White Pine. Scotch Pines are widely planted to produce Christmas trees. Its dark green foliage and stiff branches are well suited for heavy decorations and it has good needle retention. Douglas Fir needles are soft to the touch, dark green to blue green and have a pleasant aroma when crushed. Noble Fir trees are known to be beautifully symmetrical and feature silvery needles. Fraser Fir's have a uniform, pyramid shape with branches turned slightly upward. Its needles are flat and dark green on the upper side and have silver-grey bands on the downside. The Virginia Pine has short needles and stout woody branches, but has heavy foliage and might need some trimming. The Balsam Fir has a slender spire-like tip, its long lasting needles are dark green and retain their attractive smell. The White Pine is one of the most desirable trees with its soft, flexible, blue-green needles that grow in bunches typically 2.5 to 5 inches long.

Want to know what the pros picked? This year's White House Christmas Tree is a Fraser Fir, while the tree at Rockefeller Center is an 84 foot Blue Spruce.

If you're like me and allergic to live Christmas trees, there has never been a better selection of artificial trees. Artificial trees are less mess, less worry that you might burn down your house (they are fire retardant), you don't have to water them or pick needles out of your carpet for the next six months. Pre-lit, pre-decorated, and available in any size you need, artificial trees have come along way since I was a kid. Your imagination is the only limit. This is the age of the artificial tree.

Major retailers now stock trees with rotating bases, pre-lit with red lights, clear lights, multi-colored lights, or fiber optic lights. K-mart stocks black Christmas trees, while Wal-Mart sells white and turquoise colored trees and even silver sequined trees. The totally retro silver tree with a multi-colored led spotlight is sold out online at walmart.com! Trees are available in slim and full sized, with heights ranging from three feet to nine feet. There are even small, half-dead looking pre-lit trees that are more like branches instead of trees that remind one of Charlie Brown's Christmas.

However, the most unique tree I have ever experienced is a black light Christmas tree. Driving home from my grandparent's house seven years ago my family spotted this crazy tree in the window of someone's house and now every year we drive by to check it out. This must be a homemade tree because I can't find a single website or store that stocks it. It consists of a glowing purple tree trimmed with bright orange balls. It must be made of either white tree with a black light shining on it or an artificial tree that has been painted with black light paint. Either way it's the coolest thing I've ever seen and I would highly suggest it for a groovy holiday.