Christmas trees - real or fake?

[Hanna]

Me and my SO are at odds again, this time about Christmas trees. He wants a fake one, I want a real one. I like the way real ones smell, nothing beats the smell. He doesn't want the mess & the watering. Opinions?

[Fern Forest]

If I were to buy a tree I'd buy a real one.

The fake ones make me think of my grandparents and the 70s. Just so tacky. Although I guess they look better nowadays, but still.

[flodnak]

Personally, I go for fake. Scratchy throats and watery eyes just don't get me in the holiday spirit. Never understood the fascination with the smell. To me Christmas is supposed to smell like fresh-baked cookies and roasting ham. I can get a forest smell any time of the year by, well, going out into a forest.

But as to your problem sufficiently... would it work for you two if you got a real tree and you took on the job of watering it and cleaning up after it?

[flodnak]

Originally posted by flodnak
But as to your problem sufficiently...
Dammit, that should be "your problem specifically". Sorry, I've been up with a sick baby two nights running now :(

[Snooooopy]

Fake all the way. That's what we had when I was a kid. I fondly remember the yearly ritual of dragging all the pieces out of the basement and assembling it.

[pincushion]

Fake! Save the forests! Besides, they're reusable and don't harbor unpleasant surprises :)

[Bad News Baboon]

fake. they become part of the family.

[greenlady]

Another vote for fake here.

I bought a fake tree 4 years ago, and it's been great. You assemble it (the kids love to help), and it always looks perfect.

I decided to go fake because the real trees I bought never looked even close to perfect after decorated -- they always looked lopsided and ikky basically. Also, I had to constantly water the tree, and the needles fall off anyway whether I watered it or not. That made not only a constant mess to keeping vacuuming up but was also a hazard for the littlest kiddies.

[Spritle]

Kinda cancels itself out. If it's fake, it ain't a Christmas tree.

Now I'll give you that there are fakes out there that require a second look to determine, but still.

Besides, if you have a fake, you can't drag it out to the back yard in early January and let it sit until warm weather when all the snow melts, noticing how evenly brown all of the needles on the tree have become until you hit it with a match and watch the entire tree become completely engulfed in flames in just under 3 seconds.

Or am I just a redneck?

[dead0man]

As flodnak said, if you want a real one then you take care of it. I couldnt careless one way or the other. I know that if my SO wanted a real one, we would get a real one. I'd be cleaning it up and watering it to. So I would probably do a little arguing against a real one as well even if I didnt really care.
dead0man

[bare]

Perhaps you could compromise with your husband by going the fake route with the tree and purchasing or making a fresh wreath for the smell.

Can you still find potted Christmas trees?

[Arden Ranger]

I like real trees but three things make me decide on dragging out the fake one.

1. I refuse to pay upwards of $30.00 for something I'm going to have to toss in a wood chipper in three weeks after messing with the needles and watering and keeping the cat from climbing into it (she's not much interested in a fake tree for some reason).

2. I'm allergic to the damn things and since I'm the one that has to decorate it and take it down, I end up with the scratches that turn into nasty red welts that last for days, the sneezing, the watery eyes.

3. Quite a few of my ornaments are heavy and on a real tree, I have to bury the ornaments far back on the limbs to get the right support for them and you end up not being able to see them.

[PunditLisa]

Spritle, your post describes why the Pundits switched to fake. Soon after putting it up, it became very clear that our lovely tree was a fire trap. It didn't take ANY water, which was the first bad sign. And when the ornaments fell off (which they frequently did because the branches were so brittle), it was like putting an ornament on a cactus. Once while vacuuming (for the 300th time since the thing dropped needles like an epileptic seamstress), I backed up into the thing and was amazed to find that I no longer suffered from joint pain. (acupuncture humor). Anyway, it was so bad we didn't turn on the twinkly lights for fear it would WHOOOSH into a giant fireball. (Isn't turpentine made from pine trees?)

So we took it down the day after Xmas and I went directly to the nearest Walmart and bought a fake one. They aren't nearly as darling as the real ones, granted, but at least they aren't fire hazards.

[FairyChatMom]

We've always had a fake one - it's just easier all around. Especially in Florida where it's too doggone warm - I'm suspicious of the cut trees sitting in lots for weeks on end. My folks used to get a live tree with the root ball, and after the holidays and the thaw, they'd plant 'em in the yard. But old age and bad backs have stopped that tradition.

When we move to Md, we may do the balled-root-tree thing for a while, or maybe not... who knows?

[Bedrosian Bixby]

Can't have either. I have two rather unreasonable cats, who would desstroy the tree on the first night. So I help my parents trim their tree. They get a real one every year. I suspect they want to get a fake one, but one of my dad's friends owns a flower shop and gives them a tree evrey year. They begrudgingly take it and the kids go over evrey year to decorate it.

[Johnny L.A.]

There's something sad about a killed tree. And something fake about a fake one. For several years I did not have a tree. (Little point in it, since I live alone and there are no presents under it and no one to see it anyway.) But for the last few years I've gone to Target and bought a small living tree. I usually get a 2 1/2 foot tree, but they have them up to 4 feet. I put the tree on a cabinet and put a Snow blanket around the pot, then put an N-gauge train around it. I decorate it with a garland, lights, and ornaments (I buy one new onrament a year), and everyone in the office thinks it's neat. I water it every few days.

The best part is that after Christmas I give it away to one of my co-workers so they can take it home and plant it. How many killed trees are bought every year? Thirty million? Fifty million? I don't know. But imagine if everyone bought a living tree, and then planted it after the holidays. Think of all of the trees that will be planted and will continue to suck the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and pump oxygen back in! I think that's much better than killing a tree (even though most are grown for the purpose) and then dumping it into a landfill to take up space and decompose and release its CO2.

This year, please consider a living tree.

[Many Crows]

I vote for NO tree! Our house is about 1000 sq. ft. and the first year we put up a (fake) tree (in the only spot it could possibly go) it was a royal pain in the butsky. We had to keep walking around it and the cats kept knocking the decorations. We'd both had enough and we got rid of it at the first opportunity. Now we just put up a nice garland across the window and decorate that.

[SlickUSA]

Fake baby. Gives me a chance to erect a structure that's taller than me. And even though they cost more money, they pay for themselves in 3 or 4 years dont' they? Quite the economical purchase IMHO

[Johnny L.A.]

Many Crows: All the more reason to get a living tree. You can get one as small as about 12". Even a four-foot living tree won't take up much room. And you can plant it later.

Make a forest!

[delphica]

I love Christmas, and the tree issue is like a pine needle in my side.

Growing up, we always had real trees. One year, I decided to protest the murder of the trees, and so we got a living tree in a pot. At the time, we bought the largest tree in a pot that we could find -- it was about 4 feet tall. In the past, our dead trees had always been about 9 feet tall. So we get the living tree home, and try to decorate it, and essentially it looks like a bush, and the ornaments fall off. I have a severe allergic reaction to having a live tree in the house. Later, when we plant it in the backyard, it dies. My brother started calling me "The Girl Who Ruined Christmas" (which, fyi, he still does on occasion to annoy me.

Now, we have a dead tree, mostly because we live in an apartment and have nowhere to store a fake tree during the year. Someday, I would like to get a fake tree, and I am torn between getting one of those fake ones that looks unbelievably real, and getting a white tree and going all out with the 1950s retro look.

[Eliahna]

I've always had fake. There was something so special about getting out the tree each year, knowing it had shared every Christmas with my family since my parents were first married.

I think it made it through about 24 Christmases, but it was getting shaky, and rather sparse looking, so it was retired and replaced with a new tree a couple of years ago. Mum and I cried.

Best thing about fake trees - no allergic reaction, no watering or other maintenence, no mess, no fuss, same tree every year becomes part of the family, no going out to find a tree each year, designed for purpose - so easy to decorate, never misshapen or too big or too small.

[Big Sam]

I think of Christmas trees like I think of women's breasts. Sure the fake ones look nice, but nothing beats the feel of real. It doesn't hurt the forests too much either. In my area, most trees are grown on a tree farm and not taken straight out of the woods.

[HeyHomie]

Much as I prefer real ones, Mrs. Rastahomie insisted on a fake one the first Christmas we were married, and I've had no complaints since then. No pine needles to clean up, no bloodying up my hands and arms trying to position it, yada yada yada.

Each year our cat has taken a shine to it and tried climbing it, swiping at the ornaments with his paw, etc. However, a few shots of water with the squirt gun cure that problem.

[bernse]

Originally posted by Big Sam
In my area, most trees are grown on a tree farm and not taken straight out of the woods.

Glad you brought that up. Most are. Most people want the "ideal" Christmas tree and pay nothing for it. Since you have a tough time finding those in nature, the best way is to do mass production and care for them.

Actually, I can't remember the last time I saw trees for sale that came from the wilds.

[Pencepon]

We had the same experience as PunditLisa. We bought our tree early in December during a Santa Ana wind condition (happens freqently in December - hot, fast wind that parches everything in its path and sets your nerves on edge). The trees had probably been cut in October or even earlier, for all I know, and had been standing around in the hot wind drying to a crisp.

I had a hard time decorating the tree without causing it to shed all its needles on the spot, but it had cost so much that I persevered. Then I spent the entire Christmas season terrified of my tree. I was afraid to turn the lights on, afraid to leave them on for longer that a few minutes at a time, afraid the dang tree would just spontaneously combust; not to mention the daily vacuuming of needles that somehow went everywhere, and that I was still finding years later, woven into the carpet.

Immediately after Christmas we took advantage of a post-Christmas fake tree sale, and I have never been sorry, except that I do miss the smell. (Although my Santa Ana tree from hell was so dry that it had no odor anyway.)

[Big Sam]

Originally posted by bernse
Originally posted by Big Sam
In my area, most trees are grown on a tree farm and not taken straight out of the woods.

Glad you brought that up. Most are. Most people want the "ideal" Christmas tree and pay nothing for it. Since you have a tough time finding those in nature, the best way is to do mass production and care for them.

Actually, I can't remember the last time I saw trees for sale that came from the wilds.


Here in PA there are laws against cutting down living trees in state parks too. So it really narrows the selection from the wild down a lot.

[racinchikki]

Fake. Always had a fake one - a really nice one. Obviously fake but not PLASTICLY fake, if you know what I mean. Nobody was going to think it was a Douglas fir, but it was an attractive tree. And it was always fun to drag it out and assemble it - the whole familiy could help, the youngest children take the branches out of the box and sort them by their color codes, the middle ones help sort and fluff the branches out, the oldest put them on the base.

I'm probably allergic to the real ones, and I wouldn't want to have to go out and wander around in the cold to pick one out then haul it home and worry about it falling off the roof and then get it home and set it up and worry about falling needles and fire hazards. Just not worth it to me.

[Annie]

Fake-a-roonie. You can leave it up for six weeks without a fire department permit and no one sneezes. Besides, all my Looney Tunes ornaments and Marvin the Martian tree toppers would just look crass on real greenery.

[Mudshark]

Real tree.

They look better and smell better.
Fake trees are not real Christmas trees.

[Lumpy]

Had eight and nine foot real ones all the years I was growing up. Now we have a four foot fake one. Just too damn lazy to go out and get a real one anymore. Another plus is that now you can buy fake ones with built-in fiber optic lighting; really pretty!

[FallenAngel]

Chalk this one up in the things FallenAngel does for love category...

I HATE the smell of evergreens. All of them. Even the species that are less "fragrant". It's one of those smells that just automatically wrinkles my nose and makes me want to say, "PLAH!"

Mrs. Angel loves the smell. Revels in it. Gets a big smile on her face every time she catches a whiff.

Our first four years together, we used her traditional family fake tree three years and put a santa hat on my big chalk Buddha the other.

Every year for the last seven, though, it's been real trees. Gack. Still, it makes her happy, it's only for one month +/- out of the year, and that makes it worth it.

Except for the fact that she's short and can't carry it out to the garbage by herself on Jan 2...

[MaceMan]

After many years of real trees, and suffering every year with itchy eyes and runny noses throughout the holiday season, I finally convinced my parents to get a fake tree. (Well, actually just my mom--we decorated it and fooled my stepdad--he thought it was real until he noticed there was no smell and inspected it very closely.) I can't believe how much more enjoyable Christmas is now.

Here is my short list of advantages of artificial trees:

no messy needles to clean up
no watering
fireproof!
easy to put up
inexpensive, one-time purchase
good for people allergic to natural trees (like me)
some look completely real
easier to decorate (no weak branches)
no water for pets to drink up
less chance of introducing bugs, molds and other creepy crawlies into the home
you can keep it up as long as you want

[Politzania]

Grew up with real getting & decorating about 1 1/2-2 weeks before.

Hubby grew up with fake - decorate the day after Thanskgiving.

Went with fake when living in apartment - now have two of them. I miss the smell (may get a wreath this year) but they are a lot cleaner & easier to decorate.

Of course, we put so many ornaments on the tree it's hard to tell WHAT it is....

[Creaky]

When my sister and I were little kids, we had real trees. Then one year our house caught on fire. (Some electric candles in the window shorted out and fired up the ancient draperies.)

After that, my parents got paranoid about a dried-out real tree catching fire from the huge hot fat old Christmas bulb lights we used, so it was fake trees ever since.

I myself am the proud owner of one of those nasty tacky spindly silver tinsel trees. I got it and all of the decorations that go on it at an Amvets Thrift Store for seven bucks about ten years ago. Man, I love that tree.

[Turbo Dog]

Fake all the way. A few years back, spent a good amount on a very good one to replace the $20 Charlie Brown model and from 3 feet, you can't tell that it's fake. Each branch has about 16 small branches all the way in, brown "dead" needles mixed throughout, etc. Can make it bushy or slim, and anywhere from 3 feet to 7 feet. I always have the exact tree I want, when I want it. I also take it down when I feel like it (one year, took the decorations off it and left it up until April... kinda like a big plant). No shedding, no mess, no work getting it in or out, fireproof, and like Politzania we Griswald the hell out of it so much that it doesn't matter anymore even if it was a lame tree. Wife blows a little pine scented air freshener on it and apparently it's just fine.

The only drawback was this year (today actually). Last year, the puppy kept messing with the bottom of it, so I sprinkled a bunch of cayenne powder on the lower branches. It kept the dog away great, but today when putting it together and fluffing it and stuff I learned that even after a year, cayenne can be some potent stuff.

[Tokiwoki]

My family bought a fake tree a few years ago. Save the trees people!!

[Hanna]

Thanks for all the advice. A fake one would probably be a better idea, I forgot to mention we have 3 dogs and 2 cats. Maybe no tree would be a better idea. Maybe I'll get one of those Norfolk pines...

[buddy1]

..horrible metallic aluminum trees from the 1950's? You had a projector with a color wheel that turned-so your glittery tree would be red/green/blue/yellow alternately! I really liked those-are they available today? Part of my 1950's nostalgia!

[Creaky]

buddy1, dude, check around at your local Salvation Army, Amvets, or downtown assorted thift stores. You may be able to find one used. I don't know how much it'll cost; mine cost me seven bucks ten years ago. I don't know if they sell 'em new or not. They are great, ain't they? Good luck!

[rocking chair]

as a tyke we had a fake tree. get this.... a silver tinsel fake tree.

now that i am in charge of the tree, i'm with johnny la the tree in the pot. i'm also with delphica, the tree dies every year when i transplant it outside.... hope like christmas springs eternal!!!

[Chas.E]

Even the best real trees are fake. Real trees are such a fire hazard, you're better off getting a flocked tree. The snowy flocking is a fire retardant, and seems to glue everything together so you don't get such a mess from dropping pine needles. And you can get em in really odd colors. When I was a kid I sold xmas trees and I recall making custom pink, blue, red, and even green flocking. I thought they all looked great except for the dark green. That looked really weird.

[Violet]

Always real. Love the smell. Really enjoy the experience of looking at the lights on it at night. Buy it from a place that uses the proceeds for a charitable cause. Not very expensive. The city picks up the tree curbside and recycles it. Sorry to hear people are allergic to Xmas trees!! Happy holidays! :)