Christmas tree: what is your vote? Real or Artifical? Pros? Cons?

Hi all,

Instead of fighting over politics or religion this holiday season, I thought we could all weigh in on the very important question of Christmas trees: Real or Artificial?

Disclaimer: I am not unbiased. We are a live tree family all the way. I spent w-e-e-k-s in the summers of my childhood pruning “Christmas trees”. Trees that are now 40-50 feet tall!!! Our Christmas tree plantation did not quite work out the way my family had hoped, but it has left us all with an appreciation for a live tree at Christmas. Nothing compares to the look & smell of a real tree. Fortunately for me, my husband feels the same. Our kids too.

BUT: I do understand there are legitimate reasons for preferring an artificial tree: it is not as flammable, ease of installation, lower cost (years of buying real trees add up). And once you have one, might as well get use out of it, right?

Tell us your opinions on this very timely & controversial topic. Hopefully we won't come to fisticuffs.

 

Them's fightin' words, Cayuga! Just joking!
We have a live tree, and going out to search out the perfect tree is one of the highlights of our year. We usually have to trim the lower limbs up a bit so we can get our Nativity scene under the tree, then use the trimmings to make a swag for the barn gate. The smell of a real tree is incomparable, and I don't mind refilling the water tank every other day. After New Year's Day (official undecorate and remove the tree day) it goes out by the barn to be a windbreak and a shelter for small birds.
So, count me and my husband as being definitely on the Real Tree side of the discussion.

 

I did live trees for years. The biggest and fullest I could find...which some years weren't very, because we just didn't have the money. But a small live tree was preferable to a large artificial one. I didn't like the mess of them, the needle sheds everywhere, having to dispose of them after the season. But it was worth it for the fragrance and the ambience. And the kids LOVED to go out every year and pick a tree.

Now though I have a small artificial one and enjoy the ease of setup, and no mess!

 

We have had 9 foot real trees in the past. We will see what we do this year... it's a little lonely here lately...

 

For years we just went to the near by mountains and cut one down. Then we moved to Ca. and the first year I ended up buying 2 trees because the first one shed half it's needles 3 days after we bought it. The second was almost as bad. When we hit Nevada, I decided to just buy an artificial one. It doesn't smell as nice but it works and it doesn't shed the needles.

 

We've used real trees so far. We usually buy a type of Abies that has soft needles. It lasts longer than an ordinary spruce and is easier to trim because it's not very prickly. The artificial ones are so nice these days that we're considering it for when the girls have moved out. They want a real tree and refuse to even look at artificial ones.

 

I prefer real trees because of the smell, but I always hated cutting a tree down just for the sake of decorating. I also hated the mess it left, especially at clean up time. Having said that ... I was given an artificial tree about 14 years ago and have used it exclusively. It looks nice, it isn't messy, it folds up small to store and I am not paying for a tree every year. I do miss the smell, but there are lots of nice candles and wax melts available these days.

 

I love live trees and we used to go and cut our own. But, where we are living now (in an apartment complex) we are not allowed live trees so we have a seven foot artificial tree. Not the same but it is a tree. Now, I just need to dig my ornaments out of the closet and see if I can make it look like a Christmas tree.

 

No live trees in this house. Our daughter is allergic and we found out the hard way when she was a baby. A fast trip to the ER put an end to a live Christmas tree.

 

I grew up with live trees for Christmas. The artificial ones used to be so cheap and tacky looking. Now they are pretty realistic but whoa, they are expensive! I would much prefer a live tree, I love the smell and all; but a few years back I bought an artificial one on sale and it serves us well. We usually do not host a gathering, so the tree is just for we two to enjoy. I find it very easy to bring out of the storage room for December each year and decorate with red lights and glass balls. Every year I say we should get a real tree, but we don't. It would be extra work to set it up, keep it watered, clean up after it etc. They are expensive too and I feel a little bad when I see the masses of cut trees lying outside stores waiting to be taken home. So many get thrown away

 

We do not have real trees here instead we make use of casuarina trees branches to make a Christmas trees. Now a days casuarina trees are very hard to come by so we had to make use of artificial tree. For me a live tree is the best, one can actually feel the freshness and the aroma.

 

We chose our Christmas tree yesterday and brought it home. Husband made a fresh cut on the bottom, we got it in the stand (straight, of course. He is an engineer!) and it's "relaxing" in the living room. Trees are transported bound up like hay bales and it takes them a day or two to resume their natural shape. Our living room smells "piney" and it's heavenly!
And here is the "relaxed" tree all decorated.