With so many artificial Christmas trees available on the market, it’s difficult it is to tell each one apart. How’s a person supposed to tell the difference between a Norwegian Spruce and a Balsam Fir? And often, we want to make sure that our trees look like their Natural namesakes.

Fir, spruce and pine are three of the most popular Christmas tree varieties, and have their own characteristics that make them special. If you were to look at the real trees, here are some things you would notice. Use these distinguishing characteristics when you shop for artificial Christmas trees, to make sure that yours looks like the real thing:

Fir

Fir trees have individual flat needles attached to the stem. The needles grow in a spiral on the tip and lay flat, and this kind of display gives fir trees their full look. The shape of a fir tree is bushy and full, which doesn’t leave much room for ornaments and is perfect if you like a less-decorated tree.

Spruce

Like fir trees, spruces have single needles connected to the stems. However, spruce tree needles are sharp and square-shaped. On a real tree, spruce needles easily break apart if you bend them. As a whole, spruce trees sport the traditional full Christmas tree shape, thanks to their upturned branches. Their strong branches can hold heavier ornaments, so load them up with your biggest ornaments with confidence!

Pine

Unlike the fir and spruce trees, a pine tree has needles that grow in bundles — you can see three to five needles bunched together on a pine tree branch. Pine trees have fewer branches, so they tend to look sparse with their upturned branches. However, this leaves lots of room to hang ornaments at the back and middle of the branches, allowing you to hang all of your favorite ornaments.

With the pointers in mind, you can easily find the perfect Christmas tree!