As Sabine notes, why not go with a live tree that you can plant after the holiday (either right away or in the spring? I had friends in Massachusetts that did that every year. If you don't have a place for live tree, donate it to a park or school. Do a little homework first and find out what type of tree is native or will do best in your area (live and in the ground)!

Even with coastal rehabilitation and other worthy projects, it seems not cutting a tree is really the best.

Heidi

We've always done artificial. Some people are extra sensitive to the strong smell of natural pine in an enclosed area. When we "upgraded" our little apartment tree to a larger one for the house, I donated the old one to Goodwill. The employees there were very appreciative of it. They had a sign-up list for customers wanting to purchase used artificial trees! Don't throw out your old artificial trees unless they are truly ready to fall apart. Donate them to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Amvets, or any other second-hand charity store. There is a market for them and by allowing someone else the chance to re-use the tree, that tree will most likely be used for at least 20 years, if not longer. And even falling apart artificial trees can be re-purposed as decorations. Use the good branches to make evergreen swags, garlands, wreaths, and the like, and truly deck the halls!

Why not a living tree, so that after x-mas it can be planted back into the ground. My family and I do this every year and feel good about giving back to the Earth after the holidays. T'is the season for giving! Also, if you do not have room outdoors to replant your tree, why not check with your local parks department. Maybe they would love to replant it for you at one of the local parks.

We grow Choose and Cut Christmas Trees in MN and use NO pesticides or herbicides on them at all. I would much rather have a real tree in my house than one of those Chinese made lead-laden fakes! Additionally, when a tree is cut, a new one is planted. We put more acreage in trees this year so planted another 2000 trees in addition to the spots we were filling in. It takes 8-10 years for a tree to become a Christmas tree, and in that time it makes a great home for birds and other wildlife. When the trees get too big to be Christmas trees, they become a great hideout for pheasants and deer. Real trees are a win-win!!!

OMIGOD cutting down and killing a tree annually and then dumping it? That's environmentally friendly?? FOR REAL? C'mon now.. most people I know have had their fake trees way longer than 20 years.

People are insane! Really something wrong with you if you think something that lasts you your lifetime is not as environmentally friendly as killing a tree annually and then dumping it, not to mention the fires.

We bought an artificial tree back in the mid-70's, completely assembled and bedecked with lights and ornaments, for a bargain price. We drove home with it carefully handheld upright in the bed of our pickup by a family friend. Over the years, it has become a part of our family traditions, the original lights and some of the ornaments replaced, but the tree itself dependably ready for its yearly resurrection from the storage boxes which house it out of season in its disassembled state. There were times during those three-plus decades that we lived in a very small single-wide trailer with a wood-burning stove, without room to safely erect a full-size Christmas tree. My clever dear husband solved the problem by using just some of the branches and creating an espalier evergreen, attaching them in a pyramidal shape flat to the wall. With strategically placed small lights and ornaments chosen for their thin profile, we were able to enjoy our tree just as much as in other years when we possessed more square feet to spread out. After all this time and the many years of use and re-use, we feel guilt-free in our choice of an artificial tree.

Greetings, Peter -

A French TV documentary recently broadcast the findings from several studies to the effect that the main poison in RoundUp, glyphosate, has its effects greatly amplified by one of the inert surfactants also found in RoundUp, and the two in combination are far more toxic than either is alone.

Google "Glyphosate toxic inert" for a whole host of articles, many of which refer to the French documentary.

The inert ingredient in this case has been shown to be toxic to human cells all by itself, including placental and embryonic cells, and combined with glyphosate can be deadly.

Inert does not mean nontoxic.

About ten years ago I bought a multi-trunked potted Norfolk Island pine and brought it home as our Christmas tree. I re-potted it into a large clay pot, set it into a large saucer on top of a cedar chest, and my then-husband anchored the top of the tree to our track lights with strong cord, to prevent our cats from inadvertently knocking it over. We decorated both tree and pot, and even though the tree was inside for nearly a month, we never had a problem as it was kept properly watered.

This tree was our Christmas tree for six or eight years, which lived happily outside the rest of the year, on the back porch of our condo. When I moved into a home without cathedral ceilings, the tree was too tall for me to use inside, and we planted it in the front yard. Last year I bought another multi-trunked Norfolk Island pine, and this will be our second year using it as our Christmas tree.

I like the idea of using a living tree which will be a part of our holidays for many years to come. These trees do beautifully in this part of Florida, they look beautiful once decorated, and they are not overly stressed during their time inside the house, unlike most more traditional Christmas tree species. In addition, they will live happily in a large pot for many, many years.

And, any time we want that Christmas tree smell, we light some pinon or spruce incense. ;-)

How can you make the statement that Roundup is toxic because of the INERT ingredients? Toxic it may be, but not because it is inert!

I have successfully planted living evergreens to my yard in winter by doing a few things ahead of time. I dig the hole and fill it with straw or leaves, and keep the backfill on a tarp close by. When using a live tree it should be kept in the house for a limited amount of time. Spraying it with a dessicant will help it to hold moisture in. I have always decorated the tree on Christmas Eve - fun family project - and taken it down the day after Christmas. In a way that makes the tree more special because it isn't around for very long. Then we take the tree out to the predug hole. Plant, backfill, and be sure to mulch heavily with leaves, wood chips or whatever you are mulching with. This is a blanket for the roots. If you live where deer are plentiful be sure to protect the tree from the nibbling critters. Putting out a new tree in winter is the same as opening the all you can eat salad bar. Merry Christmas to All.....

The article does not mention that you can get a small tree with roots. Which you can have in the house for up to one week, then keep outside (frost free) and well watered and lit and re-plant in spring. With some care these little guys are just wonderful for a small family and will make it through the season without drying out.
We have a couple of them in containers which also look good at your front door.

No matter what choice, although I prefer real trees, I would always recommend to use Christmas as a time to gather. A big family feast with one tree avoids cutting too many trees for each satellite family.

Season's Greetings

Sabine