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Christmas Trees
Researched and Written by Janine Weins
(Posted 12/6/06)

There are few objects that have kindled awe and inspired hope in so many for centuries than plants that remain green through the winter solstice.

Thousands of years ago, Egyptians brought the green leaves of the date palm into their homes during the winter solstice to symbolize life's triumph over death.

On Christmas Eve, 1776, Washington and his men crossed the Delaware River at Trenton, New Jersey, and took 1,000 Hessian prisoners. Some believe Washington was successful because the Hessian mercenaries, after seeing a Christmas tree, abandoned their posts to eat, drink and celebrate.

In 1856, Franklin Pierce, the only New Hampshire native to become president of the United States, was the first to make a Christmas tree part of the White House holiday decorations.

A handmade sign and a lot of majestic evergreens show passing motorists where they can get a fresh cut Christmas tree.

Amy, Ben, Tim, and Amara stand in front of some of the "cut your own trees" they have for sale at their Route 10 location in Lyme. They are the third and fourth generations of the Nichols family to sell Christmas in Lyme.

Evergreens have always been an important New England resource. The great tall pines of northern New England were used as masts on the Royal Navy sailing ships when England became the strongest naval force in the world.

Now, centuries after England ruled the seas, trees continue to be important to the northern New England economy. Almost seven million cords of wood are harvested in New Hampshire each year. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, annual Christmas tree production in Vermont exceeds 150,000, while nearly 150,000 trees are harvested in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Agriculture estimates Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands contribute $6 million to the New Hampshire economy.

More than a dozen different evergreens are used for Christmas trees. The six most popular are Scotch pine which represents 40% of the live Christmas trees sold, Douglas fir representing 35% of sales, and then Fraser fir, Virginia pine, balsam fir, white pine and white spruce. The needles of the fir are individually positioned on the branch. The pines have two to six needles clustered together at their base in a sheath. A red pine has three needles in a cluster, while the white pine has five. Christmas tree farmers plant about 2,000 seedlings per acre. Depending on rain, soil, and species, in six to ten years the seedlings grow to a height of six to seven feet. Regular shearing is required to assure that the evergreen has the shape of a traditional Christmas tree.

The Nichols family has been harvesting Christmas trees in Lyme for more than a half a century. Guy Nichols came to Lyme from Vermont to clear timber after the 1938 hurricane. When the trees downed by the hurricane had been cleared Guy stayed in Lyme and started Nichols Hardware [read the profile on Nichols]. A few years after he started the hardware store, Guy began harvesting Christmas trees for friends and neighbors. Guy's son Bill expanded the Christmas tree operation. For the past several years Bill's son Ben, and Ben's wife Amy have been selling Christmas trees and greens in Lebanon and Lyme.

Amy, with help from Ben and their children, Tim and Amara, sells "cut your own trees" from property owned by the Nichols family on Route 10, about a mile and a half south of the Lyme Common. Ben sells freshly cut trees at the 103 Hanover Street Plaza in Lebanon. At both the Lyme and Lebanon locations, Ben and Amy sell wreaths, Christmas greens, and New Hampshire maple syrup produced by the Nichols family.

Buying a Christmas tree from the Nichols family has become a holiday tradition for many in the area, and some purchasers are fourth-generation customers of this four-generation business.

If you buy a fresh-cut tree, be sure to give it plenty of water—a fresh tree can slurp up as much as a quart of water in one day.

The purchase of a fresh tree is not only a beautiful aromatic gift for you and your family, it supports the local economy and is a gift to the environment. More than 90% of live trees are recycled. Artificial trees, which are made from petroleum products, have an average life of about six years, and are not recyclable; they fill up landfills. Seedlings planted to replenish the supply of trees cut for the holidays help to remove dust and pollens from the atmosphere and offer protected habitants for wild life.