America's Christmas Trees - Noble Fir

Some popular evergreen species, like Fraser fir and Douglas fir, were named for botanists, but one species stands out because it was named for its most outstanding quality. The tree is the Noble fir, whose tall, majestic growth habit and lovely color gave rise to the aristocratic name. These same qualities have made the Noble fir one of America’s most popular Christmas trees.

The Noble fir has distinctive, deep blue-green needles on relatively short, sturdy branches, making it perfect for even the heaviest Christmas ornaments. In the wild it is one of the tallest evergreens, growing to be one hundred to one hundred fifty feet tall, and is still a magnificent site in its home territory, the Cascade Mountains in Washington and Oregon. Though Nobles harvested for sale as Christmas trees do not come to market with their cones attached, the cones are very distinctive. Growing in the top branches of the tree, they have a shingled appearance, which is apparently irresistible to the local Douglas squirrels, who spread the species’ seeds while devouring the cones.

Douglas discovered all kinds of plants, but was best known for introducing and popularizing conifers, including the Grand fir, Sit ka spruce and Monterey pine to England. Besides the Noble fir, he also introduced another popular Christmas tree species, the Douglas fir.

The Noble fir lived up to its impressive name in World War II, when wood from the statuesque trees was used to make the frames of the famous Royal Air Force “Mosquito” fighter/bomber aircraft.

Wild and plantation-raised Nobles from the Pacific Northwest are a major source of holiday greens as well as Christmas trees. Given the trees’ statuesque beauty, it is no surprise that an eighteen foot tall Noble fir from Washington State was chosen as the White House Christmas Tree in 2004.