Noble vs Nordmann vs Douglas Fir: Which Christmas Tree Should You Get?

We carry three firs and nothing else, on purpose. Each one is the best at something. Here's how to choose in about two minutes.

The short version

• Heavy ornaments or a tall ceiling: Noble Fir.
• Soft needles, a lighter scent, or you set up early: Nordmann Fir.
• You want the house to smell like Christmas and you love the look of a classic tree: Douglas Fir.

Side by side

Noble Fir: the ornament tree

Noble grows slowly at altitude in Oregon, which gives it stiff, evenly spaced branches with real gaps between the tiers. You can hang a heavy glass ornament on the tip of a Noble branch and it stays. The sage-green color photographs beautifully and the open structure means lights show from across the room. It's our most popular tree and the one people ask for by name. It's also the one that goes to 12 feet, so if you have a vaulted ceiling, this is your tree.

Nordmann Fir: the family tree

Nordmann has the softest needles of the three and a lighter fragrance than Douglas, so it's the pick for folks who'd rather not have the whole house smelling like a pine forest. The needles are flat, waxy, and soft: they don't poke, they barely drop, and they don't set off the sneezing some people get from other firs. Put one up Thanksgiving weekend and it still looks fresh at New Year. The shape is full and symmetrical, so it looks finished before a single ornament goes on. Toddler, dog, or a cat who treats the tree as furniture? Get a Nordmann. The one tradeoff is scent, which is light. If you want the smell, look at Douglas.

Douglas Fir: smells like December

Douglas is the tree most people grew up with. Dense, rounded, storybook shape, and the strongest scent on the lot. It grows fast, which keeps the price down, so it's the best value per foot and the only tree we carry down to tabletop size. Branches are softer than Noble, so it suits lighter ornaments and lots of lights. It's the best value on the lot.

Why no Fraser Fir?

We carry Noble, Nordmann and Douglas Fir because those are the three we know cold. They come off our Oregon farm and onto our Texas lots fresh all season long, and keeping the lineup tight is how we keep every single tree on the lot worth buying. Three firs, all of them good, no filler.

Still sizing it up? See the Christmas tree size guide, and read how to keep a real Christmas tree fresh in Texas once it is home.