If you have a Christmas tree, is it real or fake?

[seaglass]

And which is better for the environment?

We have a real tree that we get from a tree farm and I thought that was OK because they plant new trees for replacement every year. But I just heard that fake trees are better if you are concerned about the environment (though I don't know what fake trees are made of and where fake trees go when you want to get rid of them).

Does anyone know the answer?

[Hugin]

1. Hmm, I don't really know the answer to that...

Some thoughts on the issue:

Even real wild trees, when they are cut responsibly to thin the undergrowth in a forest, can
be good for the environment.

I used to get potted live trees which I would plant after the Holidays. One year, some kind of
a tree virus went around and killed all six of them.

I now have an artificial tree, more for convenience than anything else. It doesn't have much of
an environmental impact other than off season storage requirements.

Real trees can be shredded after they're taken down and used as mulch.

[Hugin]

3. People with certain allergies can sometimes appreciate an artificial tree more...

But, for other allergies the opposite is true.

So, I'd guess the answer to the environmental question hinges on how responsible the
growers, collectors or manufacturers of the trees are. A mismanaged 'tree farm' could have a large
damaging impact.

[seaglass]

6. Yeah, my nephew has allergies and getting a fake tree has

helped him immensely.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

2. We have a small fake tree.

The fake trees are easy to set up and can be reused year after year (economical). We don't have to waste any time picking out a real tree or coming up with a strategy for taking it home. I like how ours already has Christmas lights already attached too.

[seaglass]

7. It used to be a family outing for us to get a tree because we live

so close to NH and there are many cut-your-own places plus we have friends who have a tree farm and they drive you around the tree farm on a horse drawn sleigh and serve cocoa. Now just my husband and daughter pick out our tree so it's not really an event.

[BOSSHOG]

4. We have an artificial palm tree

Looks kinda like sideshow bob all lit up but its very warming. Got a whole bunch of little Pink Flamingo Decorations and Fleur D-lis' from local New Orleans Artists. Also a couple of birds and its topped of by a mischievous elf. The shaft is done in white lights. We love it.

Real trees are collected in South Louisiana after Christmas, weighted down and put in the gulf of mexico in an effort to stop coastal erosion.

[seaglass]

11. Your tree sounds cool. Ours is very traditional, I have ornaments

my mom used when we were kids (they are really ugly but sentimental). We also have an ornament made with my SIL's wedding dress (the ornament and cutting up of her dress was unbeknownst to her).

I like non-traditional though too, but knowing my husband and kids it wouldn't go over well.:-)

[BOSSHOG]

14. We really do enjoy ours

Its our "traditional" Christmas Tree. I have 50 year old ornaments from my youth up in the attic that I will never get rid of and truly love. they are very nice but most likely will not be on prominent display in our home. We are always looking for wacky ornaments with a little parrot head feel to them. To top off our "traditional" Christmas, we will be having Tacos and Refried Beans. Merry Christmas to your family.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

5. We have a medium sized tree.

It's rather pretty.

[seaglass]

8. It's a lovely tree. You just reminded me though that I don't

know where my tree-topper went.

[michreject]

9. A real tree

Never had a fake one, and never will. People earn income by growing tree's.

[ashling]

10. No

[Orsino]

12. Fake.

We're not even putting it up this year.

[LuLu550]

13. This is my first year for a fake one

my kids fought me, but hey, they were never around to help me pick it out, haul it out of the car and put it up (both in college the last few years).

I got sick of it after last Christmas and decided to get a fake one so it would be here and easier to put up.

It is STILL in the box in the cellar...today...

So much for my master plan of getting ready early this year! :rofl:

[cwydro]

15. I've decorated a large palm

that lives inside the house in its pot. Forget what kind of palm it is, but it is six feet tall and very dense. The little lights look wonderful on it. Last year I decorated a large ficus. He is decorated again this year too, but he is out on the porch with twinkly lights. A tropical Christmas.

[Midlodemocrat]

16. We have a fake one.

[NMDemDist2]

17. my dear hubby has a pine allergy so it's fake all the way with us

and I think we're pretty easy on the enviornment with it. It's 14 years old and still going strong...

[Cush]

18. Fake, & it has lights attached to it

just have to connect the lights (plugs) for each section then plug it in. We never had a lot of luck with real ones, plus our cats would chew on the needles and branches (not to mention the attempts to climb up in it)

[GenDem]

20. That's what I have, too.

Mine is 7', thin, and has the lights attached. It doesn't take up much real estate in my small house.

[flamingyouth]

19. We have a fake one.

Real ones are lovely but cause my allergies to go bonkers after a few days, unfortunately.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. Fake

I like real trees, but worry too much about the fire hazard. I tried lighting part of the fake one outside, but it wouldn't burn, so I like it.

[Deja Q]

22. Fake - and fake is better.

With higher CO2 emissions, it seems to make sense that we need more real trees around for photosynthesis. And why nobody's come up with a synthetic equivalent yet is beyond me; our society has done much that is good. (though it isn't perfect either...)

Traditions can be altered without needing to be eliminated.

[LittleClarkie]

23. Well, you recycle the tree every year if it's fake

It's not like you buy a new one every year. So I'd say the fake one is probably better. Evergreens don't give off much oxygen anyway, iirc.

[Deja Q]

24. That's good to know...

So if I went out and slaughtered 1,000 evergreen trees it'd be okay? :D

[LittleClarkie]

25. I'm not sure what else they do. Ground cover to fight erosion I suppose

But planting pines because they're fast growing to replace slow growers like oaks is not a good idea, iirc. The pines aren't as good a wood, plus they don't help the environment as much, oxygen wize.

[bigwillq]

26. Fake (nt)

[u4ic]

27. Fake

It's a scrawny little Charlie Brown tree I've had for about 15 years.

After Christmas, I'm hitting the sales and buying another one. It's time.

[Nicole]

28. Fake

I've been using the same one for 10 years.