# Giant shrub erection **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 17, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525 "2014-12-17T21:31:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/1 "2014-12-17T21:31:33Z")
Is your tree up yet? Fake or real? Colored lights or single hue? Balls or varied? Angel or star? When does it come down? Us: yup; real noble fir; white lights; ornaments from around the world, angel. About two weeks until mulch. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/2 "2014-12-17T21:34:56Z")
This didn’t go where I thought it might (thankfully!) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/3 "2014-12-17T21:35:37Z")
A but early for us. Probably get this Saturday or Sunday and get rid of it before New Years. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/4 "2014-12-17T21:47:53Z")
Well this is disappointingly holiday-oriented. I’d hoped some member of the Bush family had inappropriately displayed himself in a public place. le sigh ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/5 "2014-12-17T22:41:19Z")
Yes Fake (because we’re usually away for part of the holidays) All white (although I’d be happy with multi) Varied – same stuff year after year with lots of ornaments laden with personal meaning Star – a very mid-century modern thing I got on clearance at Target last year It’ll prolly come down Jan. 3. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/6 "2014-12-17T22:46:48Z")
I think if the tree stays up for more than four weeks, you’re supposed to call a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/7 "2014-12-17T23:48:20Z")
Fake, multi-colored lights, a variety of balls/cartoon characters/etc. which are mostly plastic because cats, and a red blown glass spire. I usually take it down on my first day off after New Year’s. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/8 "2014-12-18T00:40:24Z")
[Fake pre-decorated tabletop tree](https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LWY3Oaj64jvqqYlCKiIHd9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink)which I drag out of the closet every year from now until the day after Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![AHarris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@AHarris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHarris)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/9 "2014-12-18T00:48:44Z")
Yes. Real; 11 x Douglas Firs (we normally do one). Normally, it’s a generic big tree with an assortment of decorations from the family collection and multicoloured lights. The activity for this year’s Christmas party was to have 12 teams decorate trees in the flavour of the 12 days of Christmas (days 11 and 12 share the big tree). So the decorations are quite varied depending on skill and effort of the different teams. We generally take the tree down sometime between Christmas and New Years Eve (after 3-4 weeks). ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/10 "2014-12-18T01:07:58Z")
I haven’t put up a tree in more than a decade. When I did, it was a tabletop, real, and so gorgeous. I kind of miss it, but not the extra work and I gave all the decoration stuff away. When it was all dolled up, there were blue and white lights, lots of silver/red/crystal shiny globe ornaments, lots of gold-trimmed red velvet ribbon that ran from top to bottom, and a pretty, fluffy, angel on top. I guess it was a bit Victorian. ---
**Author:** ![RID905](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@RID905](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RID905)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/11 "2014-12-18T01:54:08Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > Well this is disappointingly holiday-oriented. I’d hoped some member of the Bush family had inappropriately displayed himself in a public place. > > le sigh That was the first thing I thought too. Shrubya Bush. Expected to see a .JPG attachment. As for my tree… does not exist. I live alone and don’t bother putting up decorations. Not a scrooge or humbuggy, just don’t see the point of it all, when I’m at work all day, and after coming home only for short while I go to bed. But I do have a Grinch bobble head decoration somewhere. I had that out last year. So, I’ll go get it right now and put it on the coffee table. There… decorations done !!! Thanks for the reminder. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/12 "2014-12-18T03:40:37Z")
A fake table-top tree with the multi-color fiber optic doeys. Too small for our real ornaments but has our traditional kitchen sink theme: some small rocking horses and sleds, some Chinese happy balls, some "You’ll shoot yer eye out! ornaments including the leg lamp, M&M characters, various Santas—one’s on a bike and another one is riding a Coca-Cola lid. The top is adorned with a starched crocheted snowflake. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/13 "2014-12-18T04:18:27Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I think if the tree stays up for more than four weeks, you’re supposed to call a doctor. And wouldn’t there be a maximum of two balls? ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/14 "2014-12-18T04:33:56Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > This didn’t go where I thought it might (thankfully!) 😃 To be sure. I was expecting a link to some kind of topiary porn… 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/15 "2014-12-18T04:55:03Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > This didn’t go where I thought it might (thankfully!) 😃 i got a woody. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/16 "2014-12-18T16:11:00Z")
4’ fiber optic with tiny ornaments. We have a 6’ artificial (one of us is allergic to the real thing) but we don’t usually feel like digging it out and putting it up. Comes down on the sixth. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/17 "2014-12-18T17:40:16Z")
> [@SeldomSeen](#): > > To be sure. I was expecting a link to some kind of topiary porn… 🆒 I’ve got to take a photo of my neighbor’s bushes. I kid you not, there are two round bushes planted on either side of a tall, straight evergreen. Particularly when viewed from one of our upstairs window, it looks very much like a Giant Shrub Erection. In fact, my 17-year-old son and I have laughed about it on several occasions. Bonding with my kid, I am _sniff_ ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/18 "2014-12-18T17:41:21Z")
Got the tree put up last Sunday. Fake pre-lit tree with white lights. The bottom half of the top section wouldn’t light so I had to scavenge an old string of white lights and wrap it around that section. Still not decorated yet, my wife usually does that, but she’s been busy this week. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/19 "2014-12-18T19:26:12Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > This didn’t go where I thought it might (thankfully!) 😃 Yeah. Pics of Jeb getting into Bob Dole’s Viagra as he announces a presidential run? Its a thought too disgusting and hideous even for bleach. “…but you don’t understand! Four and a half is pretty big for that family…” - Karl Rove style spin ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525/20 "2014-12-18T21:38:54Z")
6’, fake, pre-lit with white bulbs, decorations collected over 26 years of marriage, star on top. It will stay up until sometime in January, whenever we get up the gumption to take it all down and pack it up for next year. When I get rich I’ll have the tree mounted on an elevator platform and a hinged floor that, at the touch of a button, raises the fully decorated tree from the basement. Once the season is over, push the button to lower it back into it’s storage space. What could possibly go wrong? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/giant-shrub-erection/707525.md?page=2)