Christmas tree: real or artificial?

The Christmas tree, together with the nativity scene, is the quintessential Christmas symbol. It evokes a tradition whose origins are lost in history and legend, according to which evergreen plants—such as fir and pine trees—were connected to the sacred, to the fertility of the fields, to rebirth, to immortality, and so on.

In any case, nowadays you can choose between a real or artificial Christmas tree, but which is better? Which is the more sustainable purchase? The answer is not obvious: both have pros and cons and consumers are equally divided in their preferences. Now we will look at the characteristics of both and try to understand which is the most environmentally friendly choice and whether there are any alternative options.

Pros and cons of real Christmas trees

Real Christmas trees bring the scent of the forest and the authentic beauty of a living plant into your home. They can be plants complete with roots and soil or rootless tops. In the first case, it is usually a spruce or (less often) a silver fir, and comes from ad hoc plantations, where it is grown specifically to become a Christmas tree. Nurseries are generally located in marginal hill and mountain areas that would otherwise be abandoned. In the second case, it is the tops of conifers cut for forest management purposes: in practice, it is waste that is reused sustainably as a Christmas tree. Therefore, in both cases, no forest is depleted and the plant originates from regulated and supervised activities.

Once at home, to ensure the survival of your real potted Christmas tree, we recommend that you choose its location carefully: away from drafts, in a cool—or at least not too warm—and bright room. Leave it indoors for as long as is strictly necessary, no more than two weeks, then move it outside. Remember to water it regularly, keeping the soil moist (mulching the top of the pot helps). Dry indoor air tends to cause the needles to fall off: you can remedy this by spraying water on the foliage with a spray bottle.

While tops are only meant to last for the holiday season, a real potted Christmas tree can live for several years and be reused. Keep it outside in the garden or on the balcony, in the shade, and repot it into larger containers as it grows. You can also plant it in the garden, but bear in mind that not all climates are suitable for fir trees—they are mountain trees—and that, when planted in the ground, they grow quickly and reach impressive sizes.

If the real tree does not survive, you can use a chainsaw to cut it up for firewood or, once it has been chopped into small pieces, use it as raw material for home composting. Otherwise, it must be disposed of in separate collection according to the rules of your local waste service. The same applies if you have purchased a tree top. Alternatively, check whether the store where you purchased the real tree, or an organization such as the municipality, organizes the collection of plants after the holidays. Remember that it is forbidden to plant real Christmas trees in open areas or in the woods because it could alter the local ecosystem.

To plant your Christmas tree in the garden, we suggest you wait until autumn: choose a spacious area where the plant can grow without hindrance, in a cool spot. Clear the area with a brushcutter, dig a hole, mix the excavated soil with sand and compost, position the tree, and fill in the hole.

You can easily transport everything you need to transplant the fir tree using a riding mower with a trailer or a transporter. When it’s time to prune, you can use hand tools such as handsaws and loppers, a chainsaw, and, for working at height, a telescopic lopper or pruners.

Pros and cons of artificial Christmas trees

Artificial trees usually consist of a base and a metal frame, which acts as the trunk, onto which PVC-coated wire branches are attached. In most cases, it is a product imported from East Asia. PVC is a very resistant plastic, so PVC Christmas trees have the advantage of durability. Thanks to this very characteristic, synthetic trees can have a lower environmental impact than natural trees, provided they are used for several Christmases.

Other advantages of artificial trees are that they look very realistic, have a perfect shape, do not lose their needles, do not require special attention when choosing where to place them in the home, and do not need watering or other care. They are also available in a variety of sizes and colors (green, white, and more unusual colors). Once the holidays are over, you can take it down and store it in the closet until the following year. A small PVC Christmas tree is definitely a convenient solution if you live in an apartment building or, in general, if you don’t have much space available.

Which Christmas tree should you choose?

As with any product, the environmental impact of a Christmas tree must be assessed over its entire life cycle: growth or production (depending on whether it is real or fake), transport, use, and disposal. A live tree has less impact than an artificial tree if you consider greenhouse gas emissions, pollutants, water consumption, etc. in relation to its one-year use. Conversely, artificial Christmas trees have less impact if used for a long time: from 5 to 20 years, depending on how environmental impact is calculated.

The most eco-friendly choice depends on your habits and, in general, consists of using (and reusing) available resources, producing as little waste as possible, and recycling correctly. If, for whatever reason, you change your Christmas tree every year or often, the best choice is a real tree or a tree top. Which Christmas tree should you choose in this case? As an alternative to the classic spruce and silver fir trees, which are native species, you can go for Caucasian fir or Colorado fir, for example. As an additional precaution, choose plants from Italian nurseries or forests, so as to shorten the supply chain and limit the environmental impact of transport, and with environmental certification such as FSC or PEFC (Forest Stewardship Council and Pan European Forest Certification, respectively). As mentioned above, there are several options for the end of life of a real tree.

If you can reuse the tree for several years (at least 5), the best choice is an artificial tree. It is best to choose one that is not too large, as it requires fewer raw materials to produce, and of good quality, so you can keep it for several years and then perhaps sell it on the second-hand market. It is important to dispose of artificial trees properly, usually in dry waste or at a recycling center: follow the instructions provided by your local waste management company.

Do you have a garden? If so, you probably already have one or more evergreens: you can decorate them for Christmas without having to buy a fir tree. Or you can plant one for this purpose: the important thing is to choose the right plant for the local climate and the space available. There are many evergreens to choose from, including conifers and broadleaf trees: in addition to the various species of fir and pine, cypress, juniper, yew, thuja, dwarf varieties of fir and pine (also perfect for terraces), holly, boxwood, cotoneaster, silverberry, holm oak, privet, magnolia, photinia, pittosporum, pyracantha, etc.

Here is an article on how to decorate your garden for the holidays with evergreens, berry bushes, and flowers, and another on how to decorate it sustainably.

If you can decorate a tree or hedge outside, you can indulge your creativity inside the house by building a Christmas tree with recycled materials, such as wooden planks or decorative branches (here’ s how to prune them). Or you can use a free wall to “draw” a fir tree with photographs, vintage Christmas decorations, fairy lights, and so on. You can find dozens of ideas online for creating an alternative Christmas tree.