While Christmas trees are a holiday staple, the work behind growing them often goes unnoticed. Scientists at Mississippi State University’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center are working to change that through new research focused on improving tree health and production.
Forestry Associate Professor Joshua Granger said Christmas trees have long fallen into a gray area within the forestry world, often overlooked in research and academic purposes. Since joining Mississippi State, Granger has partnered with the Southern Christmas Tree Association to develop studies aimed at helping growers address disease and production challenges.
One project began last year through a partnership with Shady Pond Tree Farm in Louisiana, where a unique Leyland Cypress tree was discovered showing resistance to Passalora sequoia, a damaging fungal disease. The disease attacks foliage and can quickly kill trees, particularly those that are sheared to meet consumer demand for dense, cone-shaped trees.
Granger, along with Assistant Professor Ashley Schulz and Mississippi State forestry students, is propagating the disease-resistant trees in a greenhouse before moving them outdoors for long-term study. The tree, named the Leighton Green Gernon, is being evaluated as a potential new cultivar.
Granger is also studying other tree species for their potential use as Christmas trees, including spruce pine, Atlantic white cedar, Arizona cypress, and Leyland cypress hybrids. Researchers will examine how the trees perform during cultivation and how consumers respond to them, including how well they hold up indoors over several weeks.
In another collaboration, Granger is working with MSU researchers to use scanning technology to detect early signs of disease in tree stands. The goal is to help growers better target treatments rather than relying on routine spraying, which can be costly and inefficient.
At Mississippi State’s North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona, researchers recently completed a three-year study examining fertilizer use on common Christmas tree species. The project was requested by the Southern Christmas Tree Association and supported by a grant from the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce.
Researchers say the work fills a major gap, noting that little Christmas tree research has been conducted in Mississippi since the late 1970s. With both longtime growers and new farmers entering the market, oftentimes combining tree sales with agritourism. Scientists say continued research could help strengthen the industry statewide.