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Fake vs Real: Which Christmas Trees are Greenest?

posted by Melissa Breyer Dec 12, 2009 4:01 pm

As a kid growing up in Los Angeles I was always attracted to the Christmas lots that had trees frosted with pink or turquoise fake snow. (What were they thinking?) I have yet to see those special specimens since, but it’s no surprise that as an adult I lean toward non-traditional trees. Part of that is just my stubborn attraction to the unique, but much of it stems from my feelings for trees.

Although I know that Christmas trees are farmed like any other harvested plant, it still makes me sad to think of those noble little guys whacked down for my temporary pleasure. But my humble homemade feather tree is starting to molt—and I wonder if it’s time to join the 29 million American households who will buy a fresh cut tree this year? Or should I opt for an artificial tree? How about a living tree that will take a Christmas miracle of its own to actually end up planted in my garden? To forego a tree altogether is way too bah-humbug for me, so what is the greenest Christmas tree option?

Next: Greening your Christmas tree

More on Christmas (97 articles available)
More from Melissa Breyer (497 articles available)

264 comments

264 comments

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264 comments add your comment
Richard Cohen

whoops. Thank you for a good post, from many of you, actually.

Richard Cohen

Fake tree is far better. Less gas, less driving, less lugging, less spending, less killing..... true or not?

Richard Cohen

What about the extra four trees that died for this article? Why five pages? Hmm, doesn't sound very eco-friendly when thousands come to click away the carbon, true?

Casey Broughton

good to know! thank you

Steph W.

the real ones smell great and they help absorb carbon and they can be composted....

Ritika Saxena

Like those small children who always gets satisfied in artificial christmas tree its time for us also to do like that.. atleast no tree will be cut only for our smile.. let all the trees smile this christmas..

Kathleen T.

I grow my own, keeping them in pots. When one gets to near five feet, I can use it in the pot for five Christmases before I have to plant it. The pot is very large, so it doesn't have the water issues. If I can do this in Los Angeles, I imagine most Americans could.

Andreas Kjallman

A small fake one that will last at least 15 years.

Stephanie K.

I'm a believer in fake trees

Valeria Indyukova

you should always buy fake, unfair for enviorment

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