My parents have one that is nearly 60 years old, from right when aluminum trees first became popular. It’s still in good shape, too, I expect it may last another 60 years if it’s packed well during the off-season.
After 20 some years of buying a ‘real’ tree, we have somewhat sadly gone and bought a nice 3-4 ft. artificial table-top tree that, surprisingly, looks VERY nice all decorated. It got to the point where I was the only one who wanted to go pick out a cut tree and haul it home, and the last time, when I pulled up on a sub-zero night, pointed, and said “that one, put it in the back of the car” - well, it was time. You trade in your high heels for sensible flat soled boots. You eat oatmeal instead of donuts for breakfast. That tree lives in a box in the basement 11 months a year and will ‘outlive’ us all, so I guess we are all set for a Christmas tree for the rest of our lives.
I think it’s definitely a case of “what’s right for your family.” I mean, a live and living tree is great if you have space (inside and outside in your yard) but might be impossible if you live in a tiny apartment. And they can be expensive. A cut tree is nice, but I like to put up my tree the day after Thanksgiving, so it would be all dried out and miserable by New Year’s ; )
So it’s fake tree for me, and I’ve had the current one for about 10 years.
No one said going green would be convenient.
One year we decided to totally stick it to the man and go poach one off of some land that was owned by one of the largest timber companies in the country.
After the deed was done, I later read that apparently they allow and encourage people to cut Christmas trees on their land, and you don’t even need to get the $5 permit like you do from the National Forest.
Good grief!
For what it’s worth, my mother’s been using her fake tree for at least twenty years now and it still looks great. My fake tree’s on its fourth year. Cutting trees down for a month of use, tops, seems awfully wasteful to me, although I get the ‘crop’ concept. It’s just that most of us don’t use them for firewood or furniture or whatever after the decorations come down.
I wonder what the environmental impact is from the seasonal house-fires caused by poorly-maintained real trees. Having bravely charged into a burning house to save a family who wasn’t even home (I collapsed three steps in, and had to be rescued, myself), I can tell ya that house-fire smoke ain’t just smoke.
must put in here the Mythbusters showed a tree can’t be set on fire by too many lights.
Well, tobacco, peaches and tomatoes aren’t used for firewood or furniture either.
So, I guess the poor ol’ tree farm can become a strip mall that includes a store selling fake trees.
Nice.
ETA: You realize that Christmas tree farming = MORE trees growing (not less).
Just sayin’.
Hilarious site. “The Chicago Complaints Choir”. 
Hey, you can also sent a grievance! 
I don’t doubt that it was root-bound. I’m not sure that happy has much meaning for a tree and it was green with lush needles, so it certainly didn’t show any signs of ill health or disease. It’s possible the tree species was selected for something that would work well. I wasn’t old enough to know the details of how my parents selected it, but I remember that we got it from a nursery and that the trees were specifically marketed as Christmas trees that could stay potted and be reused.
My mom planted my youngest brother’s placenta in it, too… I’m not sure whether that was a plus or a minus for its overall happiness and health, but at least she didn’t follow the midwife’s advice to eat the placenta scrambled up with eggs.
I really don’t have a dog in this fight but let’s get real here.
There are reasons for wanting a fake tree and if that’s your thing then have it. There are reasons for wanting a real tree. There is no shortage of trees that can serve as Christmas trees and they are easily grown and harvested. It’s not as if you are cutting down old growth walnut or redwoods. The way Christmas trees are grown for the market is little more than mowing the grass. Probably each and every one is replaced with a new sprout on a rotating basis.
Life can’t be about weighing every minuscule factor when the same amount of guilt can be expended toward something that actually has some significance.
Stop with the guilt trips on things that are hardly significant.
Merry Christmas!