I came across this perfect Christmas tree being back-lighted beside the trail this morning. It’s a balsam fir that was lucky enough to be seeded in the right location.
Judging from its height of about 15 feet, it ought to be about that many years old. If its luck continues, it may grow 90 to 100 feet tall.
By the way, the easiest way to tell our conifers apart is by their needles. Fir needles are flat; you can’t roll them between your fingers easily. Spruce needles are four-sided, which makes them easy to roll between the fingers. Pine needles grow in groups of two or more, not in uniform lines. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on January 6, 2022.)