Engineering the perfect Christmas tree

pr0digal jenius

There's no such thing as a perfect Christmas tree, but genetic engineering may help keep the needles on the branches longer.

Facing the rising popularity of increasingly realistic fake trees from China, researchers and Christmas tree growers are pouring more energy into manipulating the genetic code of evergreens to create heartier trees that take less time to mature.


In eastern North Carolina, scientists from East Carolina University and growers such as Brownie Sutherland of Beautancus Christmas Trees and Wreaths are trying to develop a type of Virginia Pine that will grow straight.

"A Virginia Pine is a vine until you tell it to be a Christmas tree," Sutherland said. The species, native to coastal plain, isn't as popular as some of the species that grow in the mountains, such as the Frasier Fir. It is also subject to insect problems and can be labor-intensive to raise.
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Source/Read More: C|Net