On Monday, December 1st, 2025, Governor DeWine took delivery of a Real 13-foot Canaan Fir Tree. The tree was supplied by Greig’s Christmas Tree Farm located in Willoughby Hills and Ashtabula, Ohio.
The Greig’s won 1st Place at the Ohio State Fair in July-August 2025. There winning tree was a Canaan Fir. The Canaan fir is a variety of Christmas tree that was developed at CFAES Wooster as an elite Christmas tree variety for Ohio. Its development was part of a Christmas tree genetics improvement program begun in the 1970s by Dr. Jim Brown, a researcher with Ohio State, who selected for the variety from seeds collected from isolated communities of Balsam fir in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. There are several seed orchards for Canaan Fir in Ohio. One is located near Wooster and another in Licking County. A Canaan fir seed orchard is a specific type of Christmas tree farm that cultivates Canaan firs from carefully selected seeds to ensure high-quality, desirable traits. These orchards are crucial for producing the popular Canaan fir, a variety known for its excellent needle retention, fragrance, and adaptability, which has been developed through extensive research, most notably by Jim Brown in Ohio. Facilities like Timbuk Farms maintain their own seed orchards to produce their seedlings from the original research genetics.
The commercialization of the Canaan fir and its production are a significant part of the Christmas tree industry, making up about half of Ohio's Christmas tree crop, notes Ohio's Country Journal. Canaan fir trees offer advantages like good needle retention, a pleasant but not overpowering scent, and sturdy branches suitable for holding ornaments. They are also more adaptable to heat and wetter soil than Fraser or Balsam firs and are naturally resistant to some insects. These traits make them a popular choice for both landscapes and Christmas trees.
The Canaan Fir tree was delivered to the Governor’s residence Monday morning.
Those in attendance were the Growers, Jeff and his wife Lisa, Doug Greig and their wife Ingrid, Brian Baldridge, Ohio Department of Agriculture Director, Adam Heffron, Manager of the Ohio State Fair, and Valerie Graham, the Ohio Christmas Tree Growers Association Executive Director.
Jeff Greig said, “The whole experience was very nice. The Governor’s residence is beautiful, and the tree will set the tone for a family Christmas celebration”.
In addition, The Greigs also provide a wreath for the front door.
Jeff Greig gave Emily, Fran DeWine's Chief of Staff, this year's Greigs Christmas Tree Ornament.
The Greigs received a Governor's ornament,
commemorating the 100th year of the Governor's Mansion.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture posted this wonderful video on their website:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcFSMRWjzY4
It’s not too late if you are considering a real tree this year. But next weekend may be your last chance at many Ohio Farms.
The Real Christmas Tree Board and the Ohio Christmas Tree Association, provide tools on their website to locate a grower or farm near you.
This website is helpful in locating farms in Ohio:
https://ohiochristmastree.org/christmas-tree-farm-finder
In addition, The Real Christmas Tree Board offers links to locate farms as well throughout the United States:
https://realchristmastreeboard.com/find-a-retailer/
Another link below compares and contrasts live vs. artificial trees:
Considering a Live Christmas Tree this year?
https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2586
Thank you, Governor DeWine and his family, for keeping Christmas ‘REAL’!
