Keep Holiday Evergreens Fresh All Season

When buying evergreens for decorating, choose bright green branches with minimal needle loss when handled. Cutting your own is best, but many garden centers offer fresh greens that last weeks.

Keep Them Cool

Good Evergreens for Cutting

• Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris)
• White pine (P. strobus)
• Balsam fir (Abies balsamea)
• Fraser fir (A. fraseri)
• Noble fir (A. procera)
• White fir (A. concolor)
• Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
• Boxwood (Buxus)

• If you receive a wreath or evergreens by mail, unpack immediately.
• Mist with water; repeat weekly.
• Evergreens deteriorate faster in warmth. Display in a cool place; indoor displays away from heat sources and direct sun.
• Holly is more fragile—leaves discolor in extreme warm or cold. Ideal range: 32–60°F.
• If cutting your own, wait until after frost or at least cool weather arrives.
• Choose long-lasting varieties (see list). Some last longer than others: white pine looks good for a few weeks; balsam fir holds up longer. Regionally grown evergreens often last longer.
• Save short-lived cuttings for arrangements needing only a few days. Blue spruce (Picea pungens ‘Glauca’) is beautiful but drops needles quickly.