I was wondering this as buying real ones yearly get sometimes pretty pricey
We have a cat tree we use. So artificial.
that is so adorable, ive been seeing that all over social media would you say its worth the money?
I got it last year for $90. It was up for ~2 months. Cats loved it. Got it back out a couple weeks ago, it is not used as much this year as last, but it does still get used.
I would totally say it was worth it.
a real one might not survive a cat.
I’ve never had a cat take out a tree. I’ve had cats that crawled up the tree. Worst case, they knock some ornaments off it. Young kids are far more dangerous.
Aluminum pole. No tinsel. It’s distracting.
Real every time. I feel bad for the poor tree but nothing beats the smell of a fresh Christmas tree in December.
Artificial. While it was a ton of plastic I can’t get over cutting down a tree every year. Seems wasteful to me. My artificial is exactly the same as it was 10 years ago and I have no need to replace it.
The ecological damage of a single artificial tree vastly outweighs that of cutting down many trees (don’t remember the exact numbers). - Source
My main ask then because it does matter is how many real trees cut down is the equivalent. As said it’s done for me, artificial tree is up right now so moving forward it doesn’t make sense for me to abandon that. For those who don’t have one though, how long would they have to own the artificial tree?
I’ll admit I’m skeptical of the statement because it’s a common technique that has been used to prevent people from choosing greener alternatives. The great EV debate has been plagued with it, with people bellowing that the cost of mining the minerals means you should just drive ICE cars when in reality if your EV rolls over 15,000 miles you’ve officially hit the tipping point.
Same thing with new stoves, water heaters, a lot of pro-oil will claim “Well manufacturing alone means that you’re actually hurting the environment, you wouldn’t want to do that now would you?” and put the blame back on the consumer when in reality most of those purchases become carbon neutral usually after a year or two of standard use. Now for the trees if it’s 20 years… maybe. Even then I wonder about the potential of those 10’ fir trees growing into full adult trees and what we cut short by cutting them down. (Granted I know most are farmed now, but even then, it’d have be be multiple decades for it to make sense in my book)
About 7-10. As long as it lasts you that long, you’re good.
Plastic is pretty much never going to be a greener alternative than a renewable, biodegradable plant. Especially if they can be grown nearby.
Now that I can’t believe. At some point it’s better to let the trees keep growing and make a plastic tree. We’re not talking about paper for newspaper or something consumable, were talking about an item we want to keep for a lifetime. I can’t believe that cutting down, setting up, and throwing out 70 real trees over a lifetime is better than one plastic.
Just went back through the episode and they some artificial trees may have less environmental impact if used for at least 5 years. However, some other things to consider, first where do you think the plastics in the artificial tree come from? That’s right, PETROLEUM! Also, artificial trees will end up in a landfill once they reach their end of life while a real tree is 100% biodegradable. Lastly, most artificial trees come from oversees (mostly China) whereas getting a live tree is a great way of supporting local businesses. Of course now that you have an artificial tree you’re better off using that as long as possible to minimize the environmental impact.
We’re on year 30 considering ours was a hand-me-down and we’ve been using it for 20.
However, some other things to consider, first where do you think the plastics in the artificial tree come from? That’s right, PETROLEUM
I mean, yeah of course that’s why it was the first thing I called out
a real one, which are usually Norway Spruce species, which has the iconic signature tree look. YEA its annoying when it starts to decay and go brown, you just dump outside, its wasteful asf. and a real one you have to make sure it doesnt carry any pests with it.
Real. Every year, my partner and I and other partners or friends are welcome to join us, go out into the forests and legally cut down a tree.
It’s a pain in the ass, it’s adventure, it’s a party, it’s fun. It’s also way cheaper than just buying one. I think we paid like $13 for the state park purpose licence this past weekend.
I have a tradition I made up for this, too. Every year, I cut a puck off the bottom of the tree before I put it in the stand. I drill a hole through it, label it with the year with a marker, and hang it from the tree. I think this will be our 7th year? It hasn’t been decorated yet because our living room is super small and a disaster and the tree is currently in the kitchen.
I find that the challenge gives purpose to time, and gives us excuse to socialize more in these dark months.
I am surprised at how many artificial tree users there are. Way more than I expected.
I have mostly lived where I could just go get a real one from the woods if I wanted to, so I guess that gives me a bias. If I couldn’t have a real tree, I dont think I would want one at all.
I am not much into christmas, but the whole bringing a tree home with a connection to nature makes it worthwhile. Love the smell of a fresh tree too.
Never had issues with needles or bugs so I find that strange as well. I mean sure, the tree drops some needles at the end, but that is what the skirt is for. The few outside of that is just a single day of vacuuming that you would be doing anyways.
I am surprised at how many artificial tree users there are. Way more than I expected.
I am not much into christmas, but the whole bringing a tree home with a connection to nature makes it worthwhile. Love the smell of a fresh tree too.
Also the whole no microplastics being generated thing. You’d think that since that discovery was made people would be quicker to choose non-plastic and yet here we are.
We always had an artificial one growing up, but if I ever buy a Christmas tree myself I’ll buy a real one.
Same. This comment section is so bizarre to me.
I’ve always had real trees. I love the smell too much to go with a fake one. And I agree, there’s something magical and nostalgic about the whole process of picking out a tree, and tying it to the top of your car to take to your house. It’s part of the Christmas tradition.
Not sure how real this survey is, but they say 83% of households do a fake tree.
https://wror.com/2025/11/18/fake-christmas-trees-are-preferred-over-real-trees-by-a-big-percentage/
Wow. That’s crazy to me. What’s the point?
I assume because it’s cheaper and easier, but I was surprised to hear that too.
Never bothered with putting a tree up, but I’ve always kinda wanted to steal this idea:
I gotta say…
This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here: “huge success”
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.
I use a real tree because I have cats that would eat the plastic one, and I feel that plastic trees are worse for the environment.
As an asthmatic, fake trees are the only way to go. The mold real trees have and produce as they die often cause croup cough among asthmatic. You only need croup for one Christmas before you figure out it’s just not worth it.
Doesn’t feel like Christmas without the smell of a real tree. I go out back and cut a small one.
I hunt my own free range tree. It’s satisfying having a hand in is death. Feels good to take that chainsaw to it’s body, cut it down in the prime of life, strap it to my truck, let the wind whip through its slowly dying limbs. Drag it inside my house and hack parts off until I’m satisfied it fits. Stand it in my dining room and drop fresh water into a bucket with screws attached that is designed to prolong it’s eventual demise. Then after a couple days of letting it slowly warm, we gather as a family and decorate it’s festering body with glittering lights, shiny baubbles, and memories of years past. Before we then place gifts below it’s slowly dying limbs to exchange with each other on the day we celebrate the world breaking and entry champion for the past 1745 years. After that I wait a few days, rip the glitter off, and toss the remains outside, either in the trash to be buried and gone, or to the graveyard of the trees, where it can finish rotting with others of it’s kind.
It’s a lot of work, but oh so satisfying.
Real f’sure.
A lot of states sell Christmas tree permits every year, so for 5-10 bucks plus gas I can harvest my own tree(s) sustainably.
It’s rad.
If you can’t find yourself in any of the states above, it’s likely you live in a state with state-run Christmas tree programs. Texas, Oklahoma, any state not in the half of the US listed above will have other state resources for Christmas tree permits and many private tree farms, which are maybe 10 dollars more but offer the same service:
Buy a permit, drive there, choose a tree, chop it down, take it home.
Haven’t done this, but I’ve known people who do. Beats the tree lots.
Thats what we do! 30-45 minute drive and we can get noble firs.
Heck yea! A satisfying quest all around.
Never heard of this. Probably because the nearest are hours away.
Nope, centrally located because the whole point of the program is sustainably harvested trees accessible to civilians.
You can check the linked locations above.
When I used the site it said the closest locations are national forests but none of the ones close to me.
I looked at the full list and there are zero locations in my state. Tons in the western US so I assume that’s where you live.
Nope, but I understand your assumptions.
The US has conifers everywhere, and the link above is for a single collective of federally managed public lands, but does not include every other state-run and private organization that sells Christmas tree permits across the US.
If you can’t find yourself in any of the states above, it’s likely you live in a state with state-run Christmas tree programs. Texas, Oklahoma, any state not in the half of the US listed above will have other state resources for Christmas tree permits and many private tree farms, which are maybe 10 dollars more but offer the same service:
Buy a permit, drive there, choose a tree, chop it down, take it home.
Interesting. My state does offer this. Closest is still about an hour out; not much further than I go now.
Made a note to look into this next holiday season. Thanks!
Awesome, you got it!
I’ve also added the state programs information to my original comment, so I’m glad you brought it up.
I was kind of blown away when i first found about this and got into a long talk with a ranger who explained it all to me, so I certainly understand your skepticism.
Up until that point, I literally knew nobody who cut down their own Christmas trees, and now a few of my friends also get their own trees every year.
6 foot trees have fairly thin trunks, so all you need is any trail saw, I’ve even used a hatchet, and you’ll harvest the tree in a manner of minutes.
Real. But I live in a pretty foresty area and just go to the neighbourhood farmer where I also get my eggs from and my poultry and it’s not pricey and goes into the fireplace once it’s dry enough.
Real.
Pricey? I just go out in the woods and take one for free.
Real, but I keep it in a pot and it goes outside the rest of the year. It’s about 3.5’ tall at the moment and gets a little bigger each year. I’ve had it for 4 years now
Same, except that once it gets too big we take it out to my parents’ house in the mountains and plant it there. So far one has died and one is surviving and happily growing.
That sounds excellent… i might pitch that to my wife for next year.
