The New Cost of Christmas

It is amazing that Christmas trees this year cost more than $400 for a 10-foot tree. Times have certainly changed. Despite a society that is ever more “ecologically” sensitive, using cut trees at the Holidays is as popular as ever.

Cutting and decorating trees for the Holidays, dates back to before Christ’s arrival. It has been well-documented since the mid 1500s. In 2005 there were more than 40 million Christmas trees sold in the United States alone.

Trees fill our lives. We depend on them for energy, food, building materials, clothing, and paper. They are responsible for fresh air. With more than a million acres of Christmas trees now growing in the U.S., they successfully support the environment in important ways such as providing a habitat and food for wildlife. Recycled trees protect against soil erosion and provide shelter for fish in ponds and lakes. They strip the air of dust and pollen as it moves through the branches of evergreens. And, it is thought that an acre of growing Christmas trees produces enough oxygen to support the lives of about 18 people.

Most popular among the Holiday trees are spruces, firs, and pines. They take about 8-to-10 years to grow to a size suitable for the Holiday sale. Other evergreens such as cedars, cypresses, and boxwoods are also in demand, though they play a more supportive role.

Christmas trees vary in color, fragrance, ability to hold ornaments, and resistance to fire. Some trees are better than others at surviving the warm internal environment of homes. Our research on tree selection shows the following:

Spruces: Spruces are quite popular at the Holiday but hard to care for indoors. The needles are short, and tend to dry and drop quicker than other evergreens, especially if the bottom of the trunk is not kept wet. This means they are probably more prone to fires than other trees. Despite this fact, spruces have stiff branches and needles that support decorating. They are not fragrant, so not the best choice for the “smell of the Holidays.” Most popular among the spruces are Blue Spruce (Picea pungens), Norway Spruce (Picea albies), and White Spruce (Picea glauca).

Pines: Pines produce longer needles. While fresh they are resilient to fire. Pines typically retain their needles well when used indoors. The branches of smaller trees are somewhat pliable, so not the best for heavy ornamentation. Commercially grown trees are pruned to increase their density (they are typically sparse in the wild). Pines produce a light-to-moderate fragrance, though White Pine, the most available, produces no fragrance. The most popular pines for the Holidays include Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra), Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris), Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana), and White Pine (Pinus strobus). Scotch and Virginia Pines are very popular and good selections for living trees that will be later transplanted outdoors.

Firs: Firs are the traditional Christmas trees. They are conically shaped with radially-arranged branches. The needles are much shorter than pines and most have vibrant green or silvery blue color. These trees produce a citrus-like odor when bruised or cut, and will provide a continual, pungent fragrance. The branches are tougher than those of pines and provide greater space among branches for hanging ornaments. Firs are also somewhat resilient to fire, provided they remain constantly wet. The most popular include Balsam Fir (Albies balsamea), Fraser Fir (Albies fraseri), and White Fir, (Abies concolor). The Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziessi), the most popular, produces a fantastic fragrance. (The Douglas fir is actually a separate family of evergreen plants.) The firs make an excellent choice for transplanting to the garden.

Regardless of whether cut or rooted, trees used indoors require special care to retain moisture. Cut trees generally require about a quart of water per day and misting to survive more than a week. Balled or burlapped trees require that the root ball be kept consistently moist. Under these conditions, trees can withstand indoor stints of about ten days.

Inside temperatures can wreak havoc with rooted trees because they often break dormancy and start to grow in the warm temperature. The result is severe trauma and likely death when the tree is moved outdoors. Rooted trees need to be prepared for transplanting and can be conditioned for outdoors by placing the tree in a cool basement or unheated garage a few days before transferring to the garden.

When planting outside, dig a hole the depth of the root ball and about one-and-a half times the diameter. Position the tree in the hole and backfill with the excavated soil. Water and mulch heavily. (We prefer to remove the burlap before planting.) Monitor the soil and keep the roots moist throughout winter. Provided the tree does not dry out, it will remain dormant and start to grow when other vegetation emerges in spring.