Christmas trees: Tried and tested

Noble fir(Abies procera)
£30 for 1.5m tree*

Introduced to Britain in 1830, the Noble fir is a native of Oregon and Washington in the US, and is capable of growing to great heights.

Very little scent came from the tree's long 25mm spikes. Upswept, blue-grey needles grow almost at right angles to the branch and create a very dense feel. The one we tested had quite a large gap between the top tiers, which made hiding the lighting wires a bit difficult, but lower down they were well concealed among the foliage.

The tree was easy to decorate, because the needles were quite flexible. However, some of the heavy baubles made the branches droop. Needle loss was only moderate, some of it forming clumps, making it easier to clear up by hand than to go round with a vacuum - saving time.

Verdict: A dense tree, which needed plenty of space. Its healthy look faded by the end.

• Needle drop 15/20
• Shape 16/20
• Colour 12/20
• Scent 8/20
• Ease of decoration 17/20
• Overall 68/100

Tried & Tested choice

Nordman fir (Abies nordmanniana)
£25 for 1.5m tree*

Originally from southern Russia, the Nordman fir was brought to Britain in 1848 and is becoming increasingly popular as a Christmas tree. This was our overall favourite.

Ours had a good shape, with needles that were soft, wide and flat. The foliage was a deep green and, when crushed, gave off a pleasant, citrus scent.

The denseness of the branches covered the lighting wire convincingly, and there was very little sagging to note when baubles were popped on by the children. Often described as 'non-drop', there was, indeed, very little needle loss, although they felt quite brittle towards the end. In the final stages, some of the lowest branches had begun to droop - especially where we had hung heavier baubles - but not by a substantial amount.

Verdict: A dense tree, which needed plenty of space. Its healthy look faded by the end.

• Needle drop 15/20
• Shape 16/20
• Colour 12/20
• Scent 8/20
• Ease of decoration 17/20
• Overall 68/100

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