Non-Drop Christmas Tree Saplings

Abies nordmanniana: Bareroot Sapling Nordmann Fir Trees

Delivered by Mail Order Direct from our Nursery with a Year Guarantee
 

The Nordmann Fir tree, Abies nordmanniana, is a large, vigorous, evergreen conifer. It is an exceptionally good, tall screening tree, but it will not make a clipped hedge. It has a straight central trunk, and upward pointing young branches that droop slightly with age, which helps to create a dense canopy from the tip of the tree down to the ground.
The needles, which are dark green on top and silver-grey underneath, stay on the branches for 14-20 years, longer than any other Fir tree, so it is an outstanding non-drop Christmas Tree.
To 40+ metres high.

Browse all of our evergreen trees and hedging.

Delivery season: Fir trees are delivered bareroot during late autumn and winter, approximately November-March inclusive.

Features:

• Height: 40m+
• Soil: Moist, well drained, acidic
• Use: Tall screening, evergreen
• Best non-drop Christmas tree.
• Not for hedging
• RHS Award of Garden Merit
• Bareroot delivery only: November-March

Growing Nordmann Firs

They will grow well in most soils with decent drainage, preferring a moist, acidic site. It won't grow on shallow chalk, but should tolerate mildly alkaline soils. It is not suitable for dry sites or polluted urban areas.

Young trees are shade-tolerant, but want to grow up into the sun reasonably quickly.

What Tree is a Christmas Tree?

• The Nordman Fir, Abies nordmanniana, known as the Non-Drop Christmas tree, has become the most popular for indoor use, especially for people buying their tree early.
• The most traditional Christmas Tree in the UK is the Scot's Pine, Pinus sylvestris, which holds its needles pretty well, but is no longer in demand compared to the other two species.
• The cheaper Norway Spruce, Abies picea, smells great but drops its needles quite quickly indoors, so it's better for outdoor use or when buying an indoor tree last minute.

Notes on planting Nordmann Fir:
Nordmann Fir plants will grow well in most soils with decent drainage, preferring a moist, acidic site. It won't grow on shallow chalk, but it has some tolerance for mildly alkaline soils. It is not suitable for dry sites or polluted urban areas. Young trees are shade tolerant.

Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Planting accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass.

Did You Know?

Also known as the Caucasian Fir, it is named after Alexander von Nordmann (1803–1866), a Finnish Professor of Botany in the Russian Empire (Finland became independent from Russia in 1917).

This European tree was not planted much in Britain before the mid-1800's, when it gained favour with the designers of large gardens. More recently, it has become very popular as the best "non-drop" Christmas tree. It is a good timber tree, but it isn't used much for this in Britain because there are even more vigorous Firs available, like the Grand Fir. The largest Nordmanns on record are almost 80 metres tall.