First free weekend after Thanksgiving, brought many of us to think about a tree for the holidays. But if that left you with a paper or plastic question, read on.
The good news on real Christmas trees is that about 98% of them are grown on tree farms these days, so you’re not pulling a tree from the woods, killing animal habitats, clear cutting, etc. These tree farms are often in areas not well suited to growing other crops. Another green benefit – one acre of trees can produce enough oxygen to sustain 18 people. Also, tree farms provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, and for every tree cut, at least one sapling is planted to replace it.
OK, enough Google factoids, what about fake trees? A lot of petroleum and energy go into their manufacture, so they are not the best green decision. On the other hand, if it saves you taking the family SUV to a far off tree lot every year for 30 years, then you might actually save a little oil.
Then there is the live tree option. Personally I’ve gone through all these tree types, a fake tree as a kid (fond holiday memories of putting together rather than buying the family the Christmas tree), live trees, and a potted pine that we carried indoors for about four Christmases until it grew to big to carry. It now lives in a San Francisco backyard. The potted option is nice, but only if your house isn’t too warm and you don’t keep it inside long. The problem is, do you want another pine in your yard in a year or three? Personally if I’m going to add a tree to my garden, I’d prefer a fruit tree.
Which brings up another option – for a few years we decorated the indoor family Ficus. It looked quite cute all lit up for the holidays, then in January, it went back to it’s role as a corporate looking nondescript green thing next to the living room couch. In San Francisco, the Friends of the Urban Forest are offering potted trees for individuals that you essentially rent for the holidays. You get to pick from trees such as a Magnolia, a Strawberry Tree, or a Tristania to bring home, decorate, then return to be planted along the City’s streets.
If you opt for a real tree, the most important thing you must do is make sure it’s composted afterwards. Do not let it get into the landfill. Municipal green pick-up or chipped in your own yard or compost pile will ensure that the nutrients in the tree are used again.
Also, think small – you don’t need to outdo the Joneses with an 11 foot tree. It’s fun putting lights on a five foot pine, and the kids can reach every branch! And, for energy savings, try to keep the lights to a minimum, or switch to LED strings.