Pine or plastic? The great Christmas tree debate

Local retailers have offered artificial Christmas trees in stores for the past few months. Now, live trees are decking the lots of local nurseries.

Staff at Dana’s Garden Spot on U.S. 29 Business set up Fraser firs at the start of the live-tree buying season Friday. Owner Dana Peters orders trees from the Virginia mountains.

She uses small branches and twigs from the trees to construct live wreaths. The smell of the greenery puts her in the holiday spirit.

“I’m not much of an artificial tree person,” Peters said. “If you’re trying to be environmentally friendly, buying a live tree is a great way. Plus you support your local business.”

Environmentalists and trade groups have long debated the pros and cons of live and artificial trees. The decision comes down to personal choice.

Dennis Harris, owner of Harris Nursery in Danville, can see the benefits from both sides.

As a seller of small potted spruces that people decorate and put out on their porches or plant and decorate in their yards, Harris is “pro-life tree.”

Places to buy a Christmas tree

• Dana’s Garden Spot at 5844 U.S. 29 Business in Blairs sells live trees from $20 to $85. Dana Peters can also order trees with the roots for those wanting to replant. For more info, call (434) 836-9200.
• Visit Pick-A-Pine Plantation at 1185 Deer Ridge Trail in South Boston. Trees range from $30 up to 8 feet and $50 above that. For more information, call (434) 476-8771.
• Visit Harris Nursery in Danville for potted spruces. For more info, call (434) 685-7580.
• Visit Piedmont Tree Farm at 2752 Moons Road in Long Island. Choose and cut a tree for $20. Call (434) 324-7966.
• Visit The Ginger Bread House Garden Center on 1799 Memorial Drive in Danville to buy artificial trees. Call (434) 791-2700.

 

Yet, he likes the convenience of having a two-piece pre-lit tree that’s easy to set up and maintain inside a home. He keeps an artificial tree inside his home to avoid spilling water and creating rings on his hardwood floor.

Harris decorates the palm trees and spruces he has in his yard and can enjoy the beauty and aroma of live trees.

“If you do it like this, then you can plant it and you’ve got a tree to plant outside for landscaping, plus you can decorate it for years to come,” Harris said.

Wayne Compton, of Piedmont Tree Farm in Pittsylvania County, wholesales Leyland cypress, white pine, Scotch pine and Norway spruce to retailers around Gretna and Altavista. He started delivering trees from the farm this past week.

Compton hopes sales will improve from last year. The family-owned business had a quality growing season on what used to be a tobacco farm.

“It’s just a personal preference, I think,” Compton said about the choice of Christmas tree. “A lot of people just like to come and pick out a tree. It’s kind of a family thing.”

For those who may have allergies to pine wood, the Leyland cypress is a cleaner tree that doesn’t drop needles like a pine. For customers concerned about hurting the environment by cutting down trees, Compton explained that he must replant the trees every year to sustain his business.

Jennifer Hochstein of Pick-A-Pine Plantation — another former tobacco farm — in South Boston hopes residents buy locally grown trees to support the local economy rather than China-manufactured artificial trees.

The farm offers families the chance to renew the tradition of picking and cutting Virginia pines, which are drought-tolerant trees that grow better in the area. For those concerned about fertilizer use, the farm uses all-natural fertilizers and doesn’t use pesticides. The farm sprays trees to help them retain needles and color, and keep them more fire-retardant.

Christmas trees on the farms create wildlife habitat, suck carbon dioxide from the air and filter water, she added.

Staff can cut down the tree for customers, if they choose. Families can also experience a day on the farm.

“It used to be a tradition. Everyone did it either on their own farm or went somewhere and cut a tree,” Hochstein said. “That has died pretty much, but we are trying to revive that tradition.”

Virginia growers are providing a green, renewable product in the form of live and fresh-cut Christmas trees, said Virginia Carroll, president of the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association.

Virginia ranks in the top eight states in the nation according to numbers of trees produced, acres harvested and number of farms.

Real trees can be recycled into mulch. Fake trees have an average lifetime of about seven years then end up in landfills, Carroll said. Those trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible toxins.

“We feel the fresh-cut tree is the centerpiece of Christmas,” Carroll said.

For more information on the benefits of live trees, visit http://www.virginiachristmastrees.org.

What are the benefits of artificial trees?

Artificial trees can be made from recycled plastic and can save Americans 70 percent more money over 10 years than real trees, according to the American Christmas Tree Association.

Fake trees help those with allergies. Residents don’t have to worry about their tree drying out and being susceptible to catching fire, the association’s Web site stated.

People may find artificial trees more convenient as they don’t need watering, are easier to assemble and don’t make the “mess” of live trees, according to the association.

Traditions change over time, and families celebrating Christmas after 1960 may find that artificial trees have become a new tradition, according to the association’s Web site.

For more information, visit http://www.christmastreeassociation.org.

• Bozick is a staff writer for the Danville Register & Bee.