A Christmas tree is usually an evergreen conifer such as a fir, spruce, or pine.

What kind of tree is a “Christmas tree”?

Most real Christmas trees come from a few main types of evergreen conifers.

  • Fir trees (especially Fraser fir, Douglas fir, Balsam fir, Noble fir, and white/concolor fir) are the most widely used and are often considered the “classic” Christmas tree.
  • Spruce trees (such as Norway spruce and blue spruce) are also traditional, especially in Europe.
  • Pine trees (like Scots/Scotch pine and white pine) are common in some regions and are grown specifically as Christmas trees.

In general, when someone says “a Christmas tree” and means a real tree, they are almost always talking about one of these evergreen fir, spruce, or pine species.