The classic Christmas tree, the Balsam is known for its strong, well-spaced branches, perfect for hanging ornaments, and for its fragrant needles.

The classic Christmas tree. The Balsam is known for its strong branches, attractive shape, and fragrant needles.

The Balsam is the Christmas tree you know from all the old storybooks and classic holiday movies. And if you’re of a certain age, it’s probably the tree you had as a child. In fact, when Greg started his business in Woodside, Queens in 1985, Balsams were the only trees he sold. Today Greg’s Trees is known for NYC’s largest variety of premium and hard-to-find trees. But when you want vintage vibes, nothing beats a Greg’s Traditional Balsam. It’s also still the most affordable real Christmas tree you can buy.

Abies balsamea is a hardy evergreen fir with deep green needles found in the Northeast and Eastern Canada. In the wild, a Balsam can grow up to 90 feet tall! On tree farms however, Balsams are harvested when they reach a size (and shape) suitable for homes. Every summer, Greg drives his pickup truck (with the telltale SANTA license plate) up to Plantations Nicholas in Quebec and Higgins Farms in Nova Scotia to “tag” (hand-select) live Balsams in the fields. The tagged trees –ranging from 2 to 15 feet tall– continue to be cultivated all summer and fall, as Greg insists on all his trees being “late-cut”. This means the first batch of trees are not harvested until Greg and his crew are setting up their famous stands, and subsequent batches are freshly harvested as the season goes on. This ensures that no matter when you visit Greg’s Trees, you’re getting a tree that was on the farm just that same week.

If you choose Greg’s Traditional Balsam, you have good taste. Balsams are by far the most fragrant Christmas trees, giving your home that magical holiday smell. They also have strong branches with lots of space to hang and showcase your family’s ornaments. And sometimes Balsams have natural, built-in ornaments; it’s quite common to see a few pinecones nesting in the branches (and adding to the pleasant yuletide aroma).

“I love my Balsam. It’s so pretty and Christmas-y and old-fashioned in an ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ kind of way. I might get one every year now. At Greg’s Trees, of course!” – Emma, South Slope, Brooklyn

“I just set up my Balsam tree and the kids got all excited. It’s a perfect looking tree and it makes the whole house smell like Christmas. I love it. Thanks, Greg!” – Aiden, Greenpoint, Brooklyn

“We ordered our 8′ Greg’s Traditional Balsam from gregstrees.com. They delivered it and did a very nice job setting it up for us. We decorated it that same day and it looks spectacular.” – Luke, LIC, Queens

“Balsams are kind of hard to find these days. That’s what I grew up with, Balsams, every year, so I wanted to stick with something traditional. That’s what Christmas is all about to me: tradition. I’m very happy with my tree from Greg’s. It looks like it should be in a magazine.” – Dolores, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn