Real or Fake Christmas Trees?
78Should you get a Real or Fake Christmas Tree?
When it comes to holiday decorations, nothing beats a Christmas tree! But the debate rages on as to what is the best choice for your living room - real or fake Christmas trees?
Truth be told, there are positives and negatives for both choices. In fact, there is even a third choice these days for eco-conscious consumers: a live, potted Christmas tree that you can plant in your yard when the holiday season is over. Some people even choose to donate their tree to a local park. No waste!
Deciding between real or fake Christmas trees depends in part on where you live, your lifestyle, travel plans for the holidays, and several other considerations. So, don't get your tinsel in a tangle.... let's review your options for Christmas trees now!
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Real Christmas Trees
Purists like me choose real Christmas trees each year. No offense to those who like pulling the artificial tree out of the attic each year with the rest of the holiday decorations, but I enjoy the fresh pine smell of a real tree!
There are two options for people that wish to put up a real Christmas tree in their home. Cut your own, or buy retail. Prices vary widely, and if you live in a sunny, tropical location like Florida, you probably aren't going to have the selection that we do here in Oregon!
The Pacific Northwest is filled with U-Cut tree farms that give you the experience of selecting a growing tree to cut down for a slightly smaller fee than paying retail at a tree lot. You can also get a permit from the U.S. Forest Service – depending on location - for a mere $5 to go into designated areas of national forest and cut down your Christmas tree. The benefit to these options is that the tree is fresher and will likely last longer than retail options (those trees have often been cut days or even weeks ago and then shipped to the stores). You are also saving on cost when you cut your own tree.
The Forest Service will also thank you for helping it naturally thin the smaller Christmas tree-sized stands that often take precious water and nutrients from the larger trees. Allowing tree harvesting each year also helps reduce forest fire fuel.
If chopping down trees just isn't something that gets you in the holiday spirit, then you can always choose a real Christmas tree from a retail lot. The biggest benefit for this option is convenience. You can get your tree and get it home in less than an hour. Costs are often calculated on the height of the tree. Really tall trees can get expensive!
Overall considerations for real Christmas trees:
- Cost - you'll be investing each year
- Care - you have to water your tree or it will dry out, droop and could become a fire hazard
- Tradition - nothing beats the smell of a real Christmas tree
- Convenience - many people find it easier to put a cut tree in a tree stand than to assemble an artificial Christmas tree
- Can be recycled after the holidays
- Made from 100% natural ingredients - it is a tree , after all!
The First Lady Recieves the White House Christmas Tree
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7.5' DOWNSWEPT HUNTER FIR PRE-LIT ARTIFICIAL CHRISTMAS TREE - CLEAR LIGHTS
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Artificial Christmas Tree 9ft Pre-lit
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Fake Christmas Trees
Despite their occasional bad rap, fake Christmas trees (aka artificial Christmas trees) actually have a number of benefits. This just may be the tree for you.
For a one-time investment of about $100-200, you can have a Christmas tree for years to come. Although there is no "Christmas tree smell," you also don't have to worry about watering your tree or trying to adjust it so that it fits in the stand just right - and doesn't tip over!
Pre-lit Christmas trees are a favorite option among fake Christmas trees, and safer than a real Christmas tree from a fire hazard perspective.
Overall considerations for fake Christmas trees:
- Cost - pay once and you have a tree for years
- Care - easy for people with busy lifestyles who may forget to water
- Convenience - simply pull your tree out of the attic and put it together. No need to schedule a trip to the tree farm or corner lot
- Not natural - artificial Christmas trees are usually made with petroleum products and cannot be recycled at the end of their "lifetime"
- Hassle to fluff the branches and arrange the tree each year
- No Christmas tree smell
Get a Realistic Pre-Lit Christmas Tree
Live Christmas Trees
A relatively new option for Christmas trees is to go with a live - or living - tree that can be replanted after the holidays. Eco-conscious families like this option because its 100% natural and there is no waste.
There are several considerations with respect to live Christmas trees, however. You'll have to take extra care to keep your tree alive through your celebrations so that it can be added to your yard, or possibly donated to a local park come January.
- Pick a species of tree that does well indoors. Fir trees are good choices - my favorite is the White Fir, which looks particularly festive this time of year!
- Select a tree that will fit well in your living space because you will not want to trim it. Don't forget to factor in a container large enough to fit the root ball.
- Water your tree as needed, and keep it away from fireplaces, ovens/stoves and vents
- Living Christmas trees can only last about 7-10 days indoors, so plan accordingly
- Acclimate your live tree for 3-4 days inside a garage so as not to "shock" the tree to the warmth of your home.
- After Christmas, acclimate the tree once again before planting. Follow general planting instructions for other evergreens in your region.
Overall considerations for live Christmas trees:
- Green - no waste and you plant a tree after the holidays!
- 100% natural
- Cost - about the same as cut Christmas trees
- High maintenance care
- Can be decorated like any other Christmas tree
- Beautiful Christmas tree smell
How to Care for a Living Christmas Tree
Choose the Tree that's Right for You
The real or fake Christmas tree debate is ultimately yours to settle. Choose the tree that's right for you. If you don't have time to water a tree, perhaps artificial is the way to go.
But if your holiday traditions include a trip to cut down a tree and tie it to the roof of your car, you might want to stick with a real Christmas tree, instead.
No matter what you select, enjoy decorating your tree and the beauty of the holiday season!
What Kind of Christmas Tree Are You Getting This Year?
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Thanks Carrie - I posted this article on Facebook and got quite a bit of comments. Most people are for fake Christmas trees, sounds like for the convenience. But I'm with you on the aroma. It just doesn't smell like Christmas without a real Christmas tree. Cheers, Steph
Hey great hub! I didn't know about the eco-trees. Very cool idea. Growing up we always got real trees and poo-poo'd the folks that got fake ones. But then I grew up and had to buy and bring home the tree myself! Here in NYC a tree can start at $65 and reach up to $180 depending on the neighborhood you live in and when you buy the tree! Then you have to bring the tree home on foot (not a lot of NY's have a car) and then up 5 flights of stairs! (Many NY's don't have an elevator). SO that is why last year I got a very nice fake tree. It is saving me a lot of sweat and money. I also don't have the heartache of saying goodbye to my tree. Putting the tree out for the chopper always made me kinda sad. Great hub and cute kids! Have a happy healthy holiday Steph!
Wow, I guess all those flights of stairs, let alone the price, would scare anyone away from a real tree in NYC! Sounds like the fake Christmas tree is the way to go for you!
Happy Holidays to you too!
I miss the aroma myself. Our first year here, we bought a real tree and it literally was dry as a stone within 2 weeks. Bob made me take it down because he was afraid of the fire hazard...so enter the fake tree. I love it but I do miss the real deal. So I buy swags and garlands to satisfy myself that it's really Christmas!
I remember going with our kids and cutting down a tree at the Christmas tree farms every year in Washington state. It was a great adventure and have a million stories about all those experiences. Thanks for reminding me!
Hi Audrey - My kids really do love a real Christmas tree, and we often wait until the 2nd week in December to get one and put it up. Still, it does get extra dry by Christmas!
When we lived in Washington, we often went to the tree farms to cut down out own tree. I still want to get one of those $5 Forest Service passes here. That is right within our budget!
Hope you have a lovely holiday season - Cheers, Steph
We started using an artificial tree one year when I was pretty much broke. We couldn't afford the real tree and J.C. Penny's outlet store was near us. I bought a white one on sale, which I don't think my daughter ever liked.
Now I do think the cost of a real tree i prohibitive. since we are often away from home I feel the real one can be a fire hazard.
In theory I like real trees.
Hi dahoglund - We've been worried about the cost of a real Christmas tree this year too. At the tree lots, the trees can easily run over $100. And, you can get a fake tree for that price at Walmart (the "W" word....!!), and then use it year after year. I'm going to do some shopping around this year before we get our tree, but we'll see.
Happy Holidays!
I would like to have a real tree one of these years, but I'm happy with the ol'fakie. Hell, I've had the same tree now for about six years, and I don't see a reason to swap it out just yet.
Right Jake - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! I wonder what the shelf life is for the fake Christmas trees?
I love a real tree, and especially the idea of one you cut yourself! What a great idea! Sadly I might have to skip any kind of tree this year due to having a puppy who likes to chew on (and pee on) trees. I may use Audrey's idea of fresh garlands for this year and hope to get back to a real tree for next year!
Ah yes, puppies and Christmas trees aren't the best mix! Fresh garlands are a terrific idea for the aroma of the holidays. Take some cute photos of your pup... Cheers to you Cheryl - Steph
While my daughter was growing up, I went with live trees, some purchased and some U-cut. I love the smell of a live tree, but I hate the cleanup,and time crunch to take it down before it changes from a great tree to a Charlie Brown tree. Even though I live in Washington, the prices just got ridiculous so I compromise. Live garland and fake tree. Love your pictures, especially the group shot around the tree.
Hi Diedre - I used to live in Washington, too. I agree that the prices are quite high, even though the Evergreen State is mostly forested! Love the description of a live tree turning into a Charlie Brown tree. Thanks for stopping by and a Merry Christmas to you!
Ho ho ho!
i've had a real tree for quite a few xmases now...i love the smell,my kids love it...but last year i put to much sugar in the water and it started to stink before xmas...but my tree never dried out...
I will never use a fake christmastree. The aroma of a real tree cannot be replaced.
Happy Christmas from Denmark
I too love the eco trees idea .. however for our family the cost savings of an unreal tree wins for us along with being able to have it up a lot sooner and for so much longer ... smiles.
~Expect Miracles
True, fake trees are convenient, but the process of going to the christmas tree lot and picking one out can be a lot of fun. Christmas tree lot employees are an interesting breed. Many are missing fingers if you look carefully. Many are missing teeth too, but you don't have to look so carefully for that. I am in favor of real trees, but I am also not a parent—I don't have that much on my christmas to do list.
Great Hub!
Great hub--love all your pictures! We're stuck with fake trees for the simple reason that I'm allergic to pine needles. I break out in horrible hives where ever a needle touches my skin.
James - I agree! Your description of Christmas tree lot employees is spot-on. Merry Christmas!
Hi Shane, the cost factor is definitely a major consideration when it comes to picking out a Christmas tree. This time of year there are a lot of additional expenses. Have a great holiday!
Hi Caroline, thanks! My grandmother-in-law is allergic to pine trees too. She's gone with a large fake Christmas tree in the living room and used to have her husband or son put up a very small real tree on Christmas Eve - just for the Christmas smell. :) Have a fun (safe) holiday season!
What a great hub. You cover the pros and cons well. We love to cut down our own tree, but this year, there is too much snow to get up where they can be cut. Looks like a tree from Oregon, via Walmart. Thanks for writing. Merry Christmas.
Namaste.
Thanks Deborah! We still haven't gotten our tree this year. Probably this weekend, which means it should last through the season, I hope! It is definitely snowy in Oregon this year. Enjoy your Christmas tree! Merry Christmas to you.
Good hub, stephi. My vote is for the 'live' tree, one of which I bought about 3 years ago and is still going stong in its now very large pot. It's kept outside and we decorate it as an outside feature around the house. The diadvantage is that ir will get larger as the years go by and we will run out of 'pot' space. The idea of donating to a park will be a good one then.
Hi chspublish - that is awesome! I love how you now decorate your live Christmas tree outside. Really wonderful to hear! Merry Christmas, Stephanie
My fondest Christmas memories are of watching my dad head out to the woods for our tree. My siblings and I would then spend hours decorating and redecorating it till we thought it was perfect. Merry Christmas Stephanie!
Merry Christmas to you too, Judy! What great memories. We are getting our Christmas tree this weekend. The kids really enjoy decorating it. Best, Steph
This is a great Hub -- very informative. I love the smell of a real Christmas tree but fake trees are so convenient. No mess, one-time cost, and it doesn't dry out.
Thanks Jeff - I just read in the paper today that agricultural Christmas Tree growers are looking to start a campaign similar to "Got Milk" to encourage consumers to keep buying real Christmas trees. Sales of fake Christmas trees have doubled over the past 5 years, I hear.
Maybe they can genetically engineer a tree that doesn't dry out or drop needles? Ha!
We love and miss the smell and feel of a real tree, but the decision for us to 'go fake' came a few years back and was due to a combination of factors. For one, we felt guilty about killing a living tree that had to go to the landfill or chipper at the end of the season when we love forests. Next, came the cost factor. Real trees outgrew our budget in price, so the one-time cost was a biggie.
Finally, we install a huge village around and under our tree, and it required advanced gymnastics to get to the watering hole in the stand for a real tree. As senior citizens, that was not a good thing.
For those who have an artificial tree for whatever reason, they do now sell cans of "Christmas Tree Fragrance" which can be sprayed on the tree prior to decorating. ;-)
Well-thought-out hub. Good information here.
Happy holidays to you and yours!
(P.S. it is also possible to decorate a living tree that is planted in the ground. many in our area do just that.)
OMG - I love the idea of "Christmas Tree Fragrance" for your fake Christmas tree! I have to find some before we go visit my parents for the holidays (they have a lovely artificial tree).
I would love to see your amazing Christmas tree display, Lizzy! We have a Christmas village set, and I can imagine it would be wonderful around the tree.
Happy Holidays to you, too! Enjoy the season - Steph
Very good. I love how you presented the pros and cons for each type of tree. I also have a suggestion for you. I am sure you can check it out online.
I heard on the local news today actually that if you use a live cut tree to mix 1 cup of corn syrup, theee tablespoon of bleach with one gallon of water. The syrup replaces the sugars lost in the tree and the bleach dissolves the sap and allows the tree to take water more easily.
Just trying to help. :) MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Wow - thanks SirDent! We always go with a live cut Christmas tree, so will try out the recipe you posted!
Thank you so much and Merry Christmas to you too!!
After I posted that, I thought maybe the bleach measurement might be wrong. It actually might be three pouces, but I belive tablespoons is right.
I'll double check - thank you!!
Great hub. I love Christmas! Brings back memories of my own childhood. I love a live tree, but I have had a fake one for several years. They just don't look as good to me. I have the biggest problem hiding the pole that constitutes a trunk. Thanks for a great hub. I loved reading it and will read more. Teresa
Merry Christmas!
Hi Teresa,
Yes, one of the issues with fake Christmas trees is fluffing the branches to hide the pole! Merry Christmas to you too!
I still go for fake Christmas trees because i can use them each year. Actually, never tried the real ones. :)
I wrote a hubmob post about Christmas Eve traditions, but it has no photos. Perhaps I should edit it to include pix of our village. ;-)
(oh, our fake tree has the pole wrapped with the branch material, so the pole doesn't show anyway, even if we don't get the branches well-fluffed. LOL If your tree didn't come with that, just wrap the pole with some green garland...should work just fine.)
I rented a Christmas tree this year. Going to write a hub about it. Cost is $100 for a delivered tree in a pot. They pick it up after January 15th. Best of all worlds!
Definitely MsLizzy - would love to see photos of your Christmas tree with the village!
Hi JoJo - $100 for delivery in a pot - I love the idea of renting a Christmas tree!! Wow - definitely write a hub on that. ;-)
I love real Christmas trees. I go to a Christmas tree lot and find the smallest, Charlie Brown looking tree I can find. They look great decorated!
To stephhicks68
I've only just joined hubpages and you're a really great influence on me. Thank you for making my first few days fantastic with your brilliant hubs!
My fake christmas tree is brilliant. Put it up before November even finished! Again I have managed to out-do the neighbors!
There was a time when the fresh-cut tree was important, for all the reasons you say (whether we bought that tree on a lot or went to the farm to cut it ourselves). Then later, as children grew and left home, the artificial tree was a lot easier. Sometimes it was even left up for Valentine's day, decorated with red hearts and white paper doilies.
Then there were those moments of having a live potted tree and planting it at the new year.
Maybe families recycle their preferences as their lives change.
Super Hub on Christmas tree options. There's a lot to think about in your words.
Just a final word about that live balled tree. If you know you want to have that tree, dig a 5$ hole for a 1$ tree before the first hard freeze sets in. It's one thing to cut a tree in the cold...quite another to dig a hole in frozen ground.
Congrats Crissina! I love having my Christmas tree decorated too. Have a great holiday - Steph
Hi Sherri - great tips on the $5 hole for a $1 tree! My in-laws have given us that advice for the past 15 years. :)
You know, I think you are absolutely right about priorities changing over the years. I remember when my parents went from a fresh cut Christmas tree to an artificial tree about 10 years ago. It just makes sense for their lifestyle and the holiday demands. We are doing fresh cut again this year, but would love to consider a living Christmas tree one of these years soon.
Merry Christmas!
I prefer fake Christmas tree especially if it is manufactured from recycled plastic wastes. By buying the tree we have participated in cleaning our environment. Well, we might miss the natural aroma of the tree but with the issue of global warming, it is better for us to let the trees do important job for us which is absorbing the CO2 emission that we emit every day through our daily activities such as driving cars.
nice hub. christmas is near :)
...there is just something about the smell of a fresh cut Christmas tree...
I hope you'll read my HUB about why fresh trees are the best - and why we should support Christmas tree farmers!
Thanks,
Emily VanLaeys
I go for the real trees every year, but I live in Oregon, so that's a natural choice for me:)
We live in Oregon too, princess g! Maybe that's why we've never had a fake Christmas tree. Enjoy this year!
Here in Vermont if you have an artificial tree you have to have a good reason for it. Going with a real tree is great for all the traditional reasons, aroma, etc. But it's also a neighborly thing to do. A good many Vermonters supplement their annual income by raising Christmas trees. It's an industry here and a big part of our holiday economy. That makes Christmas trees a crop, the cutting of which is not detrimental to the environment. Then after Christmas they can be mulched or simply returned to the forest where it will decompose naturally. Artificial trees deplete resources and require a manufacturing process that pollutes and consumes energy. Real tree is the way to go.
That sounds about the same here in Oregon, Jerry! And yes, the Christmas tree farmers need to make an income this time of year. Merry Christmas!
Very nice
Very nice thanks for the nice hub
I have always had a real christmas tree. My kids would kill me if I ever got a fake.
Hi suejanet - we finally got our tree today! We went with a very small, real Christmas tree because we will be leaving in a week for the holiday. Merry Christmas!
I wish I could have such a wonderful tree this year.Merry Christmas to all!!
Hi stephhicks68, this is a terrific hub. Thanks for the information. Cutting your own tree for $5 would be a great deal. I've always had an artificial tree but I would like to get a real tree one Christmas soon.
Occasionally we'd pick up a live tree on Christmas Eve, when the vendors were wanting to get rid of their inventory. Got some great deals. This year we just bought a smaller tree from BigLots for about $15 on sale. It's just the two of us, so not as concerned about size/smell, etc.
Hi Journey and shecodes - yes, cutting your own tree is a great value, and lots of fun! But waiting until the end of the season is also a great idea.
Cheers and Merry Christmas!
You would be surprised how many Christmas tree lots they have in Florida, they really go all out for Christmas. I always had a real tree when I lived in Florida. I moved back home to MI and don't have a tree at all. My siblings have them, they just get you in the spirit of it all I think. Fantastic hub by the way!
That is interesting crazybeanrider - I guess I'm surprised by "real" Christmas trees in Florida! Great to hear. Hope you have a very Merry Christmas - Steph
thank you for writing about eco-friendly christmas tree options. I'm currently living in Michigan where xmas trees are bountiful, and not much is spoken about eco-conscious trees.
Merry Christmas rodrigur! Michigan is a beautiful state!
When I was very young, my parents would buy live trees that would later be planted as part of the landscaping in our newly built home. When we lived in Venezuela for my father's job, we bought a real tree that proved too expensive to repeat, so our second year had a white plastic tree with blue lights and balls mimicking the popular color scheme of the local culture. We used that tree and decor for the next 20 years. Then my parents bought a more realistic green artificial tree that remained until my mother's death 2 years ago. I also have an artificial tree. No scurrying out to find a tree at the best price with limited funds. It has now been stored fully decorated and covered in plastic for next year.
Hi SJerZGirl - what a nice history you have of your Christmas trees. A little bit of everything huh? I'd love to see that white plastic tree with blue decorations. Wow. Trees can be expensive - I think that saving on the cost after the one time investment is worth considering. Best, Steph
carrie450 18 months ago
I use a fake tree every year but there is nothing else like the aroma of a real tree at Christmas time. Growing up my parents always had a real tree and I'll always remember those wonderful memories of the holidays.