Should I Get a Fake Christmas Tree or Real Christmas Tree?

The older we get, the harder it gets to do all the work of having a real tree. And my big strapping boys are no longer home to help my husband.

We bit the bullet and bought a pre-lit tree. It has served us well. Other than a few light strands that stopped working last year, it's fine after 5 years.

I admit that it's nice not finding needles in funny places in July, lol!

I LOVE my fake tree. It's gorgeous, it doesn't drop pine needles, it doesn't smell like pine (a smell I don't particularly enjoy), it's PRE-LIT so no hassle hanging lights. We pull it out of the box, set it up, plug it in, decorate it and it looks fantastic (and perfect) year after year. And, personally, I don't find anything attractive about going out in the cold to pick a tree or, even worse, cut one down, then having to deal with the disposal of it. We've never had anything but a fake tree and I won't ever consider getting a real tree.

I may have a bias, because I'm from an area of the country that is known for growing Christmas trees. I will tell you that the farmers near where I grew up would answer you in this way: If it were not for people buying real Christmas trees, they would have to clear those fields and either use it to graze animals or plant other crops. The tradition of people buying Christmas trees allows them to make a living by filling those fields with trees - many thousands of trees that otherwise would not have been planted and grown to maturity.

If you are going into the woods and cutting down a tree that would otherwise still be growing for the next 10 years then no, you are not being environmentally friendly. But if you are buy a tree from a tree farmer, then you are allowing someone to make a living by growing trees. I would argue that this IS an environmentally friendly choice.

ETA: As a friendly counter point to the post below mine, remember that trees help counter global warming by sequestering CO2 and releasing O2. I found this factoid (I don't have a reference, but everything on the internet is true right? LOL) - An acre of pine trees (~120 trees) has the potential to sequester roughly 5 tons of CO2 per year. I'm not saying tree farms are a perfect solution - calculating the carbon footprint and environmental impact of anything is complicated. I'm just saying that artificial trees are not, to me, clearly of huge environmental benefit as compared with real - they also have a carbon footprint to make and transport plus they don't have the CO2/O2 benefits of a real tree on the farm, and they can't be recycled. So if the OP prefers her real tree, I don't see a compelling environmental reason to switch.

we always get a real tree. i have a strangely close relationship with trees and would never advocate cutting down wild trees, but a cultivated tree grown for the purpose by a good tree steward who lives locally and makes a living from it?
yeah, i'm okay with that.
i do certain things to honor the spirit of the tree that would have most of you drawing your skirts away and rightly shunning me. :)
it's also environmentally correct to go with a fake one, and many people have. if you like them and find them easier to deal with, why not?
but it sounds as if you enjoy selecting a live tree, and unless you're sneaking into a protected forest environment and poaching one, you're really not doing anything awful. farmed trees are a reasonable option.
when we're done with ours it goes into the paddock for the horses to play with, then into the woods to return to the earth.
khairete
S.

We get a real tree.
Fake trees end up in land fills and plastic takes forever to break down.
Real trees are grown on farms for the purpose.
When we're finished with it we either shred it and use the mulch around the yard or put it on the burn pile for our spring bonfire.
Our neighbor sinks his real tree in his pond as shelter for his fish.

A lot of the newer fake trees are pretty decent looking, especially when you fill it up with lights and ornaments. You don't have to worry about watering it, getting sap all over you, and vacuuming up needles. A lot of people question the use of plastic and other things to manufacture them, and a lot probably aren't made in the US. Financially, they make a lot of sense for families trying to save a buck though, and of course you don't have to get organized every year to drag everyone out on a weekend.

Then again, around here, people sometimes cut their own trees (supporting local farms) or buy at a lot run by the Civic Club, that then puts its profits back into the town programs and organizations. A group called Venture Crew (sort of a co-ed version of Scouting for high schoolers) collects them (often for a donation to help fund their camping trips) and takes them to someone with a wood chipper, turning them into mulch. The natural trees aren't sprayed with chemicals and are great for the gardens. Our town dump also mulches trees and other yard waste and uses it for town parks and public spaces.

I think there are advantages to both approaches.

We get a real tree and when we are done with it we lay it in the backyard near the bird feeders and many animals use it for warmth and safe cover until spring. I love seeing everybody fly or scamper away when I head back there to fill the feeders. It's a win win. We purchase ours from a tree farm and I look at it as buying a crop and a way of helping to keep everyone involved employed. Someday when I am older I may have to rely on a fake tree, but until then, I love the fresh pine scent!

I'm not sure if I get the environmentally right thing to do point. We know two families who live on tree farms - grow Christmas trees. It's not as if you're walking into woods and cutting down the forest.

When you buy them locally, they are still from tree farms but local charities get involved. So people volunteering (wrapping the tree, tying to your car, etc.) get donations that go to their charities.

We prefer a fresh cut tree. We go to a tree farm, cut one down, chat with the owners, have a sleigh ride through woods to with bonfire, hot chocolate. We do this with our friends.

I have nothing against fake trees. They work for some. My mom switched about ten years ago as a fresh tree was just too much for her. It's still festive. Not quite as nice (in my opinion) but I know fake trees vary in cost and hers probably isn't fancy. My in-laws go to department stores, and buy the floor model every few years - completely decked out with ornaments. Theirs looks perfect but very obvious not a real tree. My FIL struggles every year to put it together.

I have never quite followed the logic of thinking that buying a real tree is less environmentally friendly that buying a bunch of plastic (fake tree). Where I am, the city or county does a special pickup in the weeks following Christmas and they take all the trees either to the chipper to be used as mulch, or to be used in beach renourishment projects or reef growth projects. The plastic fake trees just off put gasses from the plastic, and never disintegrate. ?
As far as gas to deliver/pick up the tree, the gas to get the tree to your area has already been burned (whether fake tree or real), and it costs you no more gas to go to the store to buy plastic than it does to go to a tree lot or Home Depot.
So, really, it's about what you want to do, and can do. I couldn't have had a decent live tree when I was single. It's definitely a two person job to load/unload/haul inside/set up a real tree.

If I lived where we could go to a Christmas tree farm and cut our own tree, I would do that. I'd always choose that option.

However, if the choice is simply choosing one in a parking lot or some tree store set up in town where there's a construction trailer and we're walking on asphalt, well, that doesn't seem much different than choosing a fake tree in Hobby Lobby or another store.

The pros of a fake tree: you purchase it once, re-use it, you know how many lights it needs (or it comes pre-lit) and what tree topper fits it, there's no need to water it, no need to dispose of it in the landfill or mulch center.

The cons: it doesn't make your house smell like fir or balsam, only the most expensive trees look real.

Pros of a real tree: you can smell it - that scent is wonderful. Afterwards, you can take it to a place where they'll turn it into mulch and you often can get mulch in return for your donation. It feels a little more romantic and traditional than a fake tree.

Cons: the needles that fall off, the necessary watering, different trees may need different tree toppers or amounts of lights meaning extra expense every year, dragging it outside after a few weeks leaving a trail of needles that you'll still be vacuuming up from weird places in June, having to take it to the mulch place (meaning you have to tie it on your car again) or tossing it in the trash knowing that you've contributed to the landfill.

We moved to Hawaii this year and real trees are horrifically expensive (and plus they've been shipped a very long way and are already old by the time they arrive). The fake ones are also very expensive, due to shipping.

So we went to a nursery and purchased a live, very tall ti plant with large leaves (about 4 feet tall) in a pot. I covered the pot with Christmas wrapping paper, and we strung min lights all around the trunk and tucked more lights among the branches. It's a weird tree, but it works. After the holidays, we'll plant it outside.

So don't be afraid to to do something different this year. A fake tree vs real won't ruin the spirit of Christmas if you keep the traditions that are important to your family.

We have a fake tree because our dogs can only think of one reason there would be a 7-foot evergreen in the middle of the living room.

What do you want? I don't see issues with environment either way.

We did fresh for years but in the end stopped and got a pre-lit tree because the entire time a live tree was in our house, we were all miserable with the allergies from it. When we did fresh, we did toss it back into the woods for the little creatures to use as needed.

I like the pre-lit. No hassle putting up, no hassle taking down, no hassle storing and no hassle with allergies!

hi ..I have a fake tree less hassle that way .. no watering it

I'm very allergic to real trees. I've had an artificial tree since I very young. I must say I love my tree. The lights are already on it and it takes all of 5 minutes to assemble. I don't see a downside. I've been married for 20 years and this is our second tree. (I think we bought this one because the lights were already on it.)

You can still have the tradition of decorating the tree as a family, playing Christmas music and drinking hot coco....although this year I did the tree my damn self...lucky it wasn't too much work. Hehe😉

A fake tree is the better environmental option, assuming you are going to use it for many years. We bought are fake tree used and have been using it for 25 years. I am sure it will last 25 more. Real trees take a lot of resources to grow and transport. A fake tree will only have to be manufactured and transported once. We have lots of wonderful Christmas traditions so we don't miss picking out a tree. We go on a horse drawn sleigh ride, attend a Carol Service, go trough a drive through light display and check out neighbourhood Christmas lights, we attend several parties, decorate the artificial tree as a family, attend a couple of concerts...there is no shortage of fun family traditions that don't involve buying a tree!

ETA: I would suggest that the resources (land, fertilizer and water) used for growing Christmas tree crops would be better used for food crops, especially with the impending water shortages due to global warming..

Being where you are, I would get a fake tree. Real trees are okay if you can get one cut the morning of your pick (the tree would last about three months). Most Christmas trees are cut in September and then shipped out.

I enjoy a live tree. When we were in Germany, we could get one and it would stay healthy for about four months before it would start to drop needles (we didn't keep it up that long).

Consider the cost of the live tree every year and the purchase of the fake which can be used for several.

Have a good holiday season.

the other S.

Nothing like the smell of a real tree!

after several years of cutting a real one.. we bought a pre lit fake one. dh has pine allergies, so everywhere the tree touched him he would be itchy, then the bugs.. spiders, creepy crawleys.. and the one year about an hour after i finished decorating the tree i discovered a tick on me.. eating away. so i told my hubbs NEVER again. i do not want the threat of ticks getting on our children just because they touch the tree. (that and i have to water it, clean up after it... and since i am the only one doing anything in this house theres no way i am adding to my to do list)
fake for me is the way to go

Aside from the delicious festive smell of a live tree, and the "event" of going to the tree lot and getting it (my kids expect this), I just wouldn't want to store a fake tree year after year. I'm sure they break down fairly small, but still, it's "one more thing".

We use to do a real tree but then I decided that I wanted to leave the tree up longer. I bought a fake tree after Christmas one year and we're now on our 3rd fake tree (prelighted with only 3 pieces to set up).

The nice thing is that there's no watering, no dropped needles, and I can put it up right after Thanksgiving and leave it up until after New Years. I would never go back to real ones at this point.

I love getting real tree. A nice, pine scent-- I don't mind sweeping up needles. There's just something lovely about it. I know, at some point, we will likely go smaller (get a 2-3 foot one instead of a 5-6 food one), but they are pretty terrific. When we are done with the tree, we have options; the Cub Scouts offer a tree recycling (we bought the tree from the Boy Scouts this year, they are involved at both ends) service. Before that we'd put it outside for cover for animals in the backyard. In spring, I used to just use clippers to take off most of the branches, loppers for the bigger ones, and then used the trunk nearly always gets repurposed in the 'stick pile' for fort building.

If you are concerned about the environment, you could buy a used fake tree. I think since it was already purchased and you and not putting a demand on the market will be more help than buying a new fake tree. Fake trees add more plastic to the world. Don't encourage more of this.

Around my area, there are 'rent a tree' services if you feel bad about throwing out a tree after a couple of weeks of use.

I have always had an artificial tree, even as a child. Our ritual was assembling it rather than picking one out. I don't know what the ones they sell now are like, but the one I had growng up (and a different one I inherited) involves sorting the branches by size, putting together the stem, inserting each branch. We light a scented candle (sometimes pine, sometimes something else) and play music while we do that.

So I don't have advice on switching to a new tradition but I can assure you that you can make very nice traditions around an artificial tree.

I've never NOT had a fake tree. Ever since I grew up, I enjoyed helping my mom assemble our tree, string the lights, and hang the ornaments. No one has to waste time, rush out in bad traffic, waste gas, money, and wonder how to tie down a tree to a sedan (or the consequences if it does start sliding while driving on the interstate), unloading it, getting sap all over the car seats, taking it into the house, watering it, and cleaning up the fallen needles, and if you overwater it/underwater it and it starts to die or turn brown, then you have to repeat the above scenario a second time. None of this happens when you have a tree kept in the garage that is used yearly. To each their own though, it's a matter of what works best for you and your household, as well as your circumstances. I am rarely home, so the less cleanup and work there is for me to do at home, the better.

My parents have had the same tree since 1971 and still going. My tree is about 10 years old and looks as good as new. I don't foresee either of those trees ending up in a landfill and ruining the environment any time soon, but I don't know how long the average person keeps a plastic tree. It takes about 10-15 minutes to assemble if more than one person helps. They have newer trees that function like an umbrella, you lift a lever and the tree stretches out, and you're done. I think they're called umbrella style trees, funnily enough. By the way, I have seen brown, decaying Christmas trees rolling around like tumbleweeds on the street when people tried putting them on the curb for pickup, and they stayed out on the street for months. I have even seen them in the summer. I guess you're supposed to take the tree to a special recycling/dump place and people can't bother doing that so instead, they just add even more debris to the streets. As long as you're disposing of it correctly, then that;s fine.

Do you have any friends who have a fake tree that they won't put up this year due to travel, stress, medical reasons, etc.? If so, you could request that they let you borrow it and you can give it a test run before deciding whether or not you're ready to make the switch. I'm pretty sure Wal-Mart and other stores will let you return opened merchandise, even Christmas trees, if you find them to not be suitable, so doing something like that may be another option, if you're up to re-packaging and re-boxing the plastic tree you purchase and end up deciding is not right for you.

We switched to fake when we got too busy for real. It's a lot of work, but I do miss it. I say you get what you want. Christmas trees are often planted for the purpose of being cut down and they are often reused in how they are recycled.

In the overall scheme of things I truly do not think that buying a real tree is a horrible thing to do. If you want to have a real tree then do it. Plant one or two when you cut that one down if you go somewhere and chop it yourself.