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The tree farmers in North Carolina are angry about the growing trend in the use of artificial trees for Christmas Trees. They say that artificial Christmas trees are bad for the environment, not bio-degradable and aren’t as pretty as a fresh tree. The tree farmers would hold these views because their livelihoods depend upon sales of fresh trees, and in many cases they are right. But let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of fresh Christmas Trees vs. Artificial Christmas Trees.

The Fresh Christmas Trees have a very fragrant smell. But if you have a person with allergies in your household, or if a visitor comes in with allergies, that person can be miserable and can ruin a perfectly fine Holiday Party or Holiday altogether. You wouldn’t have this problem with an artificial tree, as they contain no allergens.

The Fresh Christmas Trees are beautiful. Yes, they are, but sometimes they are asymmetrical and they lean. You may spend hours trying to straighten up the tree if you don’t have a very good (and expensive) tree stand, and can experience some aggravation which only adds to the stress of the Holiday. An artificial tree is also beautiful, and very symmetrical, and sits straight in its own stand.

Fresh Christmas Trees are hard to decorate. Have you spent whole afternoon trying to put the lights on a Fresh Christmas Tree? Have you ever put a string of lights on a fresh Christmas tree only to find out they don’t work? Do the lights and ornaments weigh the branches down because they’re too heavy? An Artificial tree normally comes pre-strung with LED lights which you don’t have to string and unstring every year. Just take the tree from last year out of the closet, stand it up and plug it in and it’s ready to decorate. No needle trail, no fuss, no muss.

Fresh Christmas trees are not flame-proof and can be a fire hazard. They must be kept watered to stay fresh and safe, and the lights must stay off while you are out of the house. Artificial trees can be purchased flame-retardant and the LED lights present less of a hazard than the fresh Trees do. The LED Lights also save a lot of electricity.

A Fresh Christmas Tree is biodegradable and can provide mulch or a natural frame for a fish hatchery. In other words, it is good for the environment. On the other hand, the artificial tree can last for decades, and the branches can be recycled into the environment when its useful life has expired.

Finally, there is the cost of Fresh Christmas Tree to consider. The cost may run anywhere from $85.00 to $120.00 or more depending on what part of the country you are in. A good Artificial Christmas tree with LED lights can run you $300.00 or more, but with the benefit of lasting for many holidays to come.

I may not have convinced you one way or another about Fresh vs. Artificial Trees, but I hope I have given you something to ponder before you make your next Christmas Tree purchase.