Any Christmas tree’s leaves are unchanging, but for researchers at Washington State University, the smell of a Christmas tree is just as important.
Scientists in WSU’s School of Food Science conducted panels this fall where researchers from across the country provided their feedback on samples from six different coniferous tree species that are used as Christmas trees in the U.S.—Fraser, noble, balsam, concolor, Nordmann, and Trojan firs
That work, being conducted by Gary Chastagner, a WSU emeritus plant pathologist known nationally as “Dr. Christmas Tree” and WSU Regents professor Carolyn Ross, could contribute to identifying regional preferences that inform future plantings and is part of a a $7.4 million, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded multistate research project.
“The question is, what aroma?” Chastagner said in a…
