What is the difference between fir and spruce? Easily explained

Fir and spruce are both green coniferous plants. In addition, they have little in common. Find out where the differences between the trees are in this article.

Fir or spruce? That is the difference

• Spruce stings, fir does not! "You may have heard this saying. In fact, you can tell firs and spruces apart by their needles: spruces have pointed needles that sting when you touch them. On the other hand, if you attack the flat needles of a fir, it won't normally hurt.
• Spruces have needles that are all over the branch. Fir needles, however, are arranged in rows. In addition, the needles of the fir tree have two white wax strips on the underside.
• The bark of fir is much smoother than that of spruce.
• If you find cones on the forest floor, they are not firs, but spruce cones. Fir trees shed their cones individually, while spruces drop entire cones.
• Especially in strong storms it can be seen that spruce trees are uprooted much faster than fir trees. In contrast to the fir, the roots do not reach so deep into the ground.

Fir or spruce - what is the best Christmas tree?

Fir and spruce are both suitable as Christmas trees. You can find out what the advantages of each variety are here:

• Fir trees are the most popular Christmas trees. They lose fewer needles than spruces and exude a typical resinous fragrance.
• Originally, Christmas trees were always spruces until they were finally replaced by the fir trees. Nevertheless, you can still buy spruces during the Christmas season.
• The most popular type of spruce is undoubtedly blue spruce. It stands out with its blue-green color. It is also a reasonably priced Christmas tree, which unfortunately quickly loses its needles. However, make absolutely sure to wear gloves during transport, as spruce stings.
• The most popular Christmas fir is the Nordmann fir. It is characterized by its bushy growth habit and its dark green needles. The biggest disadvantage of the tree is the price: Because this type of fir grows so slowly, it also costs the most.
• Another popular Christmas tree is the noble fir. It is characterized by its long durability and symmetrical growth form. It also smells strong, especially if you prick the resin pockets on the bark.

In the next article you will learn what is important when planting a Nordmann fir.