Real Trees

Jude McCormack

Dec. 8 2023

The holiday season is amazing. It starts snowing, you’re decorating the exterior of your house, and drinking a nice cup of sweet hot chocolate. What could be missing? Well, the Christmas tree, of course! But you have two options to pick from for getting a tree this season; a real, authentic one, or a fake plastic one. I’m here to settle this debate and tell you that real trees are way better than fake ones.

The first reason is that real ones are better for you and the environment. A fake tree on average releases 88 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the making, contributing to the melting of glaciers and warming up the planet. Real trees are actually able to produce oxygen, making it already a better choice rather than fake trees. Fake trees are not able to decompose and enrich the soil around it like real trees do. Fake trees also are easily able to catch on fire (further warming up the planet) due to lighting a fireplace near the tree or putting up Christmas themed scented candles for the holidays, while a well hydrated real tree is hard to burn and you will most likely notice a smokey smell well before it catches on fire.

The next reason why is because it is better for costs. If the average tree is 6.5 feet tall and 4.6 feet wide with the same length, with the volume being divided by two (because of the tree’s cone-like shape), then the volume would be 29.25 feet. If we take the cost of christmas lights and assume that the space between the way the lights wrap around the christmas tree is 2 feet, then we add the cost of lights per foot, which is $2.50, in addition to the cost of a christmas tree, which is 80 dollars, then we get a rounded total of $116.50, compared to the cost of a fake tree the same size with the addition of pre-installed lights that would sell for about $500-$1,000, which is a pretty sweet deal to save money for people’s Christmas presents this year.

The final reason why real trees are a clear winner over fake christmas trees is the fact that nothing can beat the experience of getting a real tree. Just imagine yourself getting a christmas tree with your family at the local Lowe’s or Home Depot with the smell of evergreen trees firing at you in every way, warming up your heart and making the christmas season better. Let’s be real for a second, artificial air fresheners are pretty bad. Having a real non-plastic tree is the wonderful smell coming from the real deal is the icing on the cake. 

With the evidence of real trees being better for the environment, them being less expensive, and it being better because of the amazing holiday memories and experiences you would gain by getting a real tree, I hope this article has taught you the truth that real trees are better than the awful, plastic ones. But what do you think? Tell us by filling out the form below and showing us your thoughts! Have a merry Christmas and a happy new year!