Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- December 11, 2007

The aroma of Christmas trees awakens memories of past holidays (:43)

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Suggested Intro:

NOTHING STIRS MEMORIES OF HOLIDAYS PAST LIKE THE AROMA OF PINE AND FIR TREES, AND A CHRISTMAS TREE SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS SOME SPECIES MAKE MORE SCENTS THAN OTHERS. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:

Story:

(:13) WHEN YOU ASK CONSUMERS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IN A FRESH TREE, AROMA'S ALWAYS ONE OF THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS. BUT WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY TREES AND TRYING TO PICK THE STRAIGHTEST OR THE FULLEST, AROMA CAN OFTEN BE OVERLOOKED. PENN STATE HORTICULTURIST RICK BATES SAYS, AMONG CHRISTMAS TREE VARIETIES, THE BALSAM FIR HAS A CLASSIC AROMA, BUT OTHER FRAGRANT FIRS ARE GAINING IN POPULARITY:

Bates Actuality:
(:15) "CANAAN AND CONCOLOR AND FRAZIER ARE, I GUESS, SOME OF THE BEST SPECIES FOR AROMA. AND I'VE BEEN ON RETAIL CHRISTMAS TREE LOTS WHERE I'VE HEARD THE LITTLE KIDS SAY TO THEIR MOM OR FATHER LET'S GET THAT TREE THAT SMELLS LIKE TANGERINES."

(:08) BATES SAYS BESIDES FIRS, WHITE PINE AND SCOTCH PINE ARE STILL POPULAR IN THE MIDWEST, AND HAVE A GREAT AROMA. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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Learn more:

Capitol Region Garden Report: "Christmas Tree Selection" (College of Agricultural Sciences publication in PDF format -- Adobe Acrobat Reader required)

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