California harvested over 100,000 Christmas trees in 2012, ranking 15th in the nation, according to the U.S.D.A. Census report. Although a relatively small specialty crop for California, Christmas tree production fills an important niche in foothill farming, and can be a lucrative crop for those who have the proper site conditions to grow and location for sales, as our 2005 UC cost study showed.  Christmas tree species grown in the foothills include the "true" firs, those trees in the genus Abies: White fir (A. concolor), Red fir (A. magnifica), also known locally as "silver tip"; and also Douglas fir, (Pseudotsuga menziesii) which isn't a fir at all!

In years past, I've collaborated with several local Christmas tree growers and Pacific

Northwest researchers Gary Chastagner (WSU Plant Pathology Specialist) and Chal Landgren (OSU Forestry Extension), to demonstrate Nordmann and Turkish fir as viable California foothill Christmas tree species.  Nordmann (Abies nordmanniana) and Turkish fir (Abies bornmuelleriania) originate from Turkey and the country Georgia near the Black Sea, and are very popular Christmas trees in Europe due to selection efforts of Danish researchers.  Our interest in the Nordmann and Turkish fir was mainly 2 things: Phytophthora root rot resistance, and tolerance to the local aphid, Mindarus kinseyi, a pest of other true firs-especially white fir.  We've observed that the Nordmann and Turkish fir do have more tolerance to root rot than the white firs, and that aphids are less attracted to them-making them easier to manage. However, the Nordmann fir can have other problems, such as a crooked or aborted terminal bud; and rabbits love to feed on young trees.  In Norway,  growers hang weights off of lateral buds and go to the effort of straightening the terminal shoot. 

One unique practice that some Christmas tree growers use is termed "stump culture". With stump culture, after a tree is cut, a few lower lateral branches are left. New buds arise from the stump, and eventually a shoot begins to regrow in the turned up position. In this way, one "tree" can produce many Christmas trees. The trees grow faster than a replanted tree because the stump branches use the mature root system of the previous tree. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!