Our Christmas Trees

Beautiful Christmas Trees Don't Just Happen

It It takes a lot to grow a pretty Christmas tree. It’s a long-term process taking as many as 10 years for a tree to grow to 6’tall. In that time a tree farmer has to worry about the small sapling he planted making it through; drought, pests, deer that use trees to rub the velvet off their antlers, being stepped on by little feet searching for larger trees in the snow at Christmas time and, like 2018, drowning—from way too much rain and 2019 drought from not enough rain! The rains of 2018 and drought have killed over 100 of our trees here at Bees & Trees, that’s the most trees we’ve ever lost in one year and we’re not alone. We’re actually lucky, some of Virginia’s farmers have lost as much as 80% of their Christmas tree stock.

In addition to all the issues that can kill a tree, a Christmas tree farmer puts in a lot of work caring for each tree during its lifetime. You may think that Christmas trees grow into a conical shape all on their own but nothing could be further from the truth! It is the shaping and shearing of each tree every year that gives your Christmas tree its beautiful shape. Shearing also helps increase the density of the tree. We begin shearing our trees in their third year when the leader on top of a tree (where you put your tree topper) gets around ten inches tall. Sometimes there are multiple leaders and, when that happens, we select the best one and remove the others.

While there are many ways to shear a tree, we hire professionals who, using very long and very sharp knives, hand shear every single tree--beautifully. It is really an amazing thing to watch. Trees are best sheared in the summer and so it is typically very hot when this work is done. You can watch our professionals shearing our trees by clicking here.

About the trees we grow

Fir Trees

Canaan Fir--Often called the "kissing cousin" of the Fraser Fir (which does not grow well in this part of Virginia), the Canaan Fir is quite similar to a balsam fir. We have several fields of Canaan fir trees at various heights. The Canaan has strong, upturned branches making it great for holding even the heaviest of ornaments and it has a lovely fragrance similar to the balsam fir.

Fraser Fir--Although we can't grow them because we lack the altitude they require, we recognize their popularity and so we head down to Southwest VA or NC during the season to bring back freshly cut Fraser Fir trees. These trees are hand picked and are cut right before we bring them back to the farm, so you can be sure that they are as fresh as possible.

The Canaan Fir--is one of the
   most popular Christmas
   trees grown in Virginia. It's
   popularity is due, in part, to
   its similarity to the Fraser
   Fir which requires a much
   higher altitude than is
   available in this part of VA.
We do go down to Southwest
VA twice a season to bring back freshly cut Fraser
Firs and sell them at our farm.

Cypress Trees

Carolina Sapphire Cypress--Known primarily for it's lovely beautiful blue-gray color, soft branches and berries, the Carolina Sapphire Cypress also has an amazing scent. Like other cypress trees, heavier ornaments will not hang well from its branches and, once cut, this tree does dry out more quickly than others. We recommend not putting this tree in a stand for longer than four weeks!

Leyland Cypress--This tree has soft branches, a great smell and, if watered properly, will easily last the entire season. While many in Central Virginia use this tree as a landscape and privacy tree, in the South, the Leyland Cypress is also a very popular Christmas tree. Allergy sufferers often prefer this tree as it does not produce any pollen--it is grown from clippings!

The Leyland Cypress does
   not produce pollen and
   therefore is the Christmas
   tree often favored by allergy
   sufferers.

Pine Trees

White Pine--White Pine trees are one of the softest needle trees around. For decades this pine has been one of the most popular Christmas trees in Virginia. When space between the branches allows, larger and heavier ornaments may be placed towards the inside of the tree. The outside of the tree, however, has much more dainty and flimsy branches and they will not support any significant weight. A densely grown white pine may not allow for larger ornaments. The needles on White pines are approximately 3"-5" in length.

Scotch Pine--Needle retention on a Scotch Pine is pretty amazing, even when it's dry! The needles are about 1" in length and the branches will hold light or heavy ornaments. There is little to no scent associated with a Scotch Pine.

Spruce Trees

Blue Spruce--Easily identified by it's blue foliage, this tree has very strong needles that are about 1" long. The tree itself has a lovely symmetrical form and good needle retention. Branches will easily hold most any ornament. Most of our blue spruces will be available for cutting in 2018. Until then, a good alternative for those preferring this shade of tree, is the Carolina Sapphire Cypress. We will be selling some pre-cut Blue Spruce this year, however, they will likely sell quickly. If you are interested in one of these pre-cut trees, you may want to call ahead and put a 24-hour reserve on it.

Norway Spruce--This tree has relatively short needles and firm branches making it, like other spruces, excellent at holding ornaments. On rare occasions this tree has been known to have needle retention issues--when that happens, every needle will fall off this tree seemingly at the same time. To date we've had this happen to one tree at our farm, but it can happen.

White Spruce--This tree has short, firm needles that make it excellent for holding ornaments. Their color is a pretty blue-green but they have almost no scent. White Spruces are known for their good needle retention which is said to be better than with any other spruce tree. For years, White Spruces have been one of the most hearty and one of the most popular Christmas trees grown in Virginia.

   The Carolina Blue Sapphire
   has an amazing fragrance
   and a lovely color similar
   to the Blue Spruce. Though
   its branches will not
   support heavy ornaments
   it is still a favorite for many
   families.