The trees Wickman's was selling this Christmas were all Fraser's Firs (A. Fraseri). So said nursery manager Nikki Petitt. We did some reading and learned that Fraser's Firs are outstanding choices for Christmas trees for their fragrance, neat and attractive appearance, and ability to keep their soft needles longer. Ironically, Fraser's Firs also have a very limited native range in the southern Appalachian Mountains and their native survival is seriously threatened by acid rain and a sucking insect called the Wooly Adelgid. For this reason, the tree's commercial planting as a Christmas and ornamental tree may save it from extinction.