Reviewing the wild world of evergreens can help gardeners and homeowners care for and maintain their landscapes.

Is it a pine, a fir or a spruce tree? Following are tips that can be used to identify which is which. Needles. Like deciduous trees, conifers can be identified by their “leaves.” ...

Pine trees grow faster than spruce and fir and are commonly used as Christmas trees. They tend to dry out somewhat faster than firs. True firs, such as balsam, Fraser, ...

Pine, fir, and spruce are strongly antimicrobial, and anti-fungal. The pitch has more concentrated amounts of these substances than the needles and bark. Internal use of the pitch in large amounts ...

The pine, the spruce and the fir tree generally prefer slightly acidic soil and full sun and have a preference for medium moisture. There are plenty of other evergreens to discover.

I would like to try decorating with a live-cut tree for Christmas this year in our family room. Could you please provide some advice on selecting and caring for one? — Trudi Hansen, Glencoe M… ...

In the meantime, you may want to learn about the different types of trees that are available—varieties like Douglas fir, blue spruce, Scotch pine and more!

Types of trees, costs: Cut your own Scotch and white pine, spruce $34. Specially-marked trees, $15. Pre-cut Douglas, Fraser firs, Scotch, Noble fir and white pine vary according to size.

Reviewing the wild world of evergreens can help gardeners and homeowners care for and maintain their landscapes.