# What happens to unsold Christmas trees?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 29, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542 "2005-12-29T04:23:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542/1 "2005-12-29T04:23:50Z")

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Just wondering what happens to unsold Christmas trees. Don’t think anybody would buy one the day after Christmas no matter how discounted they were. My WAG is that they are just turned into mulch or something.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542/2 "2005-12-29T04:24:18Z")

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Usually mulch.

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**Author:** ![lonesome\_loser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@lonesome\_loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lonesome_loser)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542/3 "2005-12-29T05:04:09Z")

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> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#):
>
> Usually mulch.

That or fish homes.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542/4 "2005-12-29T08:21:07Z")

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Saw a TV news item recently that said unsold trees were donated to local zoos, where they are fed to the elephants. Well liked by them, as a change of pace from their normal feed.

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**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542/5 "2005-12-29T15:54:15Z")

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My father and I found out many years ago after buying 300 trees and selling only about half. We dumped them in the back field of a friend’s farm and as far as I know, the pile is still there.

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**Author:** ![AzureM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AzureM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AzureM)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542/6 "2005-12-29T16:49:45Z")

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Sounds like one hell of a bonfire to me.

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**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\
**Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-unsold-christmas-trees/337542/7 "2005-12-29T16:54:00Z")

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> [@AzureM](#):
>
> Sounds like one hell of a bonfire to me.

[hijack]a pal has a summer solstice party every year. Everyone who comes brings at least one christmas tree. Lately, most bring more than one. Christmas trees, six months seasoned, piled 30 feet high, burn as bright as the sun. For, like, a minute.