With Christmas right around the corner, you might be wondering what type of tree is best for your family to use for the holidays this year. Here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, we have a variety of different pines, including our state tree, the black hills spruce. So, if you are planning to buy a natural tree this year and foregoing the artificial route, which one of these trees should you buy?
Are you looking for something with a strong pine smell, the perfect Christmas tree shape, strong branches for ornaments and decorations, or a tree that lasts a long time and retains its needles? At Eagle Lawn and Landscape, we’re here to help you choose. Here is a list of our top five picks:
The Black Hills Spruce
Let’s start with our own state tree, the Black Hills Spruce. There is an isolated population in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The tree is native to this area, which is where the common name of “black hills spruce” originates. Outside it is often used in windbreaks, wildlife plantings, residential landscapes, and community plantings. It grows best in moist-well-drained soil in full sun if grown outdoors. This evergreen has a highly desirable pyramidal shape making it the perfect tree for hanging a star or delicate angel. Its needles are about 1/2 long, dark green in color, and with a slight aroma.
If the Black Hills spruce is your holiday tree of choice, recut the stump before putting it in your tree stand. A fresh cut will help the healing process and keep the tree fresh for as long as you 
need it. When giving it water for the first time, use hot water. This will soften the sap for easier water intake. And be sure to keep water in the bowl at all times. If you do run out at any time, fill the bowl with hot water again to soften the seal.
Colorado Spruce
Native to the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Spruce makes a bold stand in any landscape. This robust lawn ornament contains silver-blue pine needles that are prickly to the touch and have a fresh pine smell. Its cone-like shape and brilliant colored foliage make this plant a classic choice for a Christmas tree. It’s also an excellent tree for planting on your Sioux Falls landscape. It adapts well to many soil types, enjoys full sun, and offers a ton of benefits to our local wildlife.
The Colorado Spruce is not just a great choice for a Christmas tree, but its boughs are useful in various kinds of Christmas greenery. After the holiday, many people even use these delightful evergreens as potted plants. Its vibrant hues make other ornamental elements pop throughout your landscape. Whether used as a Christmas tree or landscape piece, you’re sure to do well with the Colorado Spruce.
Balsam Fir
The Balsam Fir is a native evergreen that makes an outstanding landscape showpiece or holiday decoration. It thrives in cooler climates with a slow growth rate and demands abundant soil moisture, humidity, and full to partial sun. It’s often used commercially for light-frame construction, paneling, and crates.
With a smell that reminds you of Christmases past, the balsam fir has a symmetrical spire-like crown and dark evergreen color. In the past, balsam firs were the only trees whose branches could accommodate candles. While we don’t recommend doing this for fear of creating a fire hazard, if you have heavy ornaments, this may be the tree for you.
Fraser Fir
If you like an abundance of decorations on your Christmas tree, then look no further than the Fraser fir. It is one tough cookie and known for its stout branches. The Fraser fir has blue-green needles with a beautiful silvery underside that won’t prick your fingers when you hang ornaments. Its symmetrical shape and fresh fragrance make it an ideal Christmas tree. Fraser firs are native to the southern Appalachian Mountains but if you are looking to plant one of these evergreens in your Sioux Falls yard, choose a location with rich and moist soil that receives plenty of sunlight.
White Pine
Lastly, the white pine is a fast-growing hardy tree with clustered soft blue-green needles that look like little brushes. It will look fantastic when decorated with lights, garlands, and ribbons but the needles are so soft you will want to use light-weighted ornaments. It can grow enormous in height, so it is probably best suited for homes or businesses with high ceilings. Thinking that this might be a good tree for your Sioux Falls landscape? You will want to plant it in well-drained, acidic soil, keep it well-watered, and ensure it has at least four hours of direct sunlight.
For All Your Sioux Falls Lawn Care Needs, Call the Professionals at Eagle Lawn and Landscape
After you have picked out your Christmas tree and the holidays are over, don’t let the winter blues get you down. Instead, start planning to have the best lawn in all of Sioux Falls this spring with professional lawn care services by Eagle Lawn and Landscape. We offer a five-step fertilizer and weed control program, landscaping, and irrigation services, including irrigation installation and repairs, mowing, lawn raking, power raking, aeration, and Emerald Ash Borer Identification and Prevention.
Learn more about all of our services by visiting our website. You can also contact us right online or give us a call at 605-366-1111.
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