Hands in the Dirt: Fraser Fir

Photo and article by Donna Iverson

Wondering what the most popular Christmas tree in Michigan is? According to several sources, it’s the Fraser fir.  
Curious to find one, I went in search of a Fraser Fir at my local tree farm in Whitehall. Personally, I am partial to balsam fir but was willing to give Fraser fir a look see.

Fraser fir trees were plentiful at the tree farm with acres of them growing in the back fields. In the lot, the cost of a Fraser fir, cut and tied for easier transport was $50. Cheaper than the going price of $80 to $100 a pop around the state, according to AI. (Yup AI) 

Comparing balsam fir and Fraser fir, it turns out that the balsam fir has softer needles and a sweeter smell. On the plus side, Fraser fir is slower to drop its needles, has stronger limbs for ornaments and is the favorite tree at the White House during the holidays.

A native of the Appalachian mountains, it prefers acid moist soil with cool summers and cold winters. It grows 30 to 50 feet in between 7 to 10 years. In the wild, it can be found growing near hemlock, birch and maple trees. It is named after a Scottish botanist John Fraser (1750-1811). It is also endangered, threatened by the balsam wooly adelgid insect. 
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Personally, balsam fir remains my favorite …can’t resist the sweeter smell and the softer feel.

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