Firs are chosen for their ‘royal’ look. Almost all species of fir have dense branching from the trunk and longer, softer needles than the spruce.
The Caucasian fir. This is the best known and most frequently purchased species of fur, characterised by its almost perfect “Christmas tree” shape which is due to the equal spread of its side branches – they grow very densely with the lower ones positioned almost horizontally, while the upper branches are pointed towards the top of the tree. The needles are 2-3 cm in length, stiff, shiny, dark green and densely packed on the branches.
The Fraser fir is incredibly shapely which, combined with its dark green needles densely packed on the upper side of the shoot, gives it a highly sophisticated appearance and enchants nearly everyone. Crushed needles give off a distinctive citrusy scent.
The California fir wins the hearts of customers with its truly elegant appearance and long, soft needles. It has a beautiful, regular, conical shape with extremely long (4 – 7 cm), soft, upward-curving needles which are grey-green or bluish on both sides.
The Korean fir is valued for its perfect conical shape and its soft, flat needles which radiate around the branch to make the whole tree look highly impressive. The needles are dark green from above and whitish from below.