Real or artificial?
Some consumers may choose to go with an artificial Christmas tree rather than a fresh-cut one, opting for the convenience and easy clean-up that an artificial tree can provide compared with a real or live tree.
There is an ongoing debate about whether real or artificial trees are “greener” in environmentally friendly terms.
Thomas Harman, CEO of California-based artificial tree manufacturer Balsam Hill, acknowledged to the Associated Press that most artificial trees come from Asia and a lot of fuel is spent transporting them here.
But artificial trees require no agricultural chemicals, and if a consumer keeps an artificial tree for 15 years, less fuel will probably have been used transporting it than in transporting 15 years’ worth of live trees, Harman said.
Consumers, he said, should check to see if their artificial tree is made from recycled materials.
The National Christmas Tree Association publishes a comparison of real trees to artificial trees on its Web site that is intended to demonstrate real trees are friendlier to the environment.
The Missouri-based group notes, for instance, that “tree farms support complex ecosystems” while “factories only consume natural resources.”
Real trees are biodegradable and fake trees are not, the association says.
Real trees absorb carbon dioxide while they grow and fake trees are made from petroleum-based plastic, the association notes.
A survey by the association found that 84 percent of those people buying real trees last year bought them precut and the remainder cut the trees on their own.
The average price of the 28.6 million real trees bought in 2006 was $40.50 for a total retail value of $1.2 billion.
By contrast, 9.3 million artificial trees were sold at an average price of $68, the association said.
Tips for buying and caring for a real Christmas tree:
- Plan ahead: Know the size, height and species you need before shopping.
- Test for freshness: Green needles on fresh trees break crisply like breaking a fresh carrot. Needles on pines, though, don’t break unless they are very dry.
- Be prepared: If going to a farm to cut your own tree, dress appropriately for an outing and watch for hazards such as tree stumps and uneven ground.
- Use water: A reservoir stand full of water is the best way to maintain a fresh tree, but be sure to cut a fresh half-inch from the trunk’s base.
- Move fast: Place the tree in water as soon as possible and provide a quart of water for each inch of trunk diameter.
- Monitor the situation: Keep an eye on the water level in tree stands and check trees for their freshness.
- Ask questions: How often does the retailer receive tree shipments and which trees stay fresh longer in your climate?
- Myth: Drilling a hole in the trunk’s based does not help water uptake.
By Greg Edwards
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