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The mantel
Vases of varying heights contain conifer sprigs sitting in an inch of water. Strips of inch-wide paper ribbon (secured with double-sided tape) wrap the cylinders and serve as plant labels. White votives add soft lighting behind.
Photo: Thomas J. Story
Arizona cypress ( Cupressus arizonica)
Native to central Arizona, this upright to pyramidal tree has scalelike branchlets that vary from green to blue-gray to silver,
depending on variety.
Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica)
Tufted clusters of short, bluish green needles are arranged along graceful branches on an upright, pyramidal tree.
Fir
While not a true fir, Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii) is much loved as a Christmas tree for its soft, deep green or blue-green needles, which are sweetly fragrant when crushed.
True firs to consider for decorating include noble fir ( Abies procera), a popular living Christmas tree with short, stiff branches and blue-green, 1-inch-long needles; silver fir ( A. amabilis), whose dark green needles are silvery on the undersides; and white fir ( A. concolor), with bluish green, 1- to 2-inch-long needles.
