Why You Need A Real Christmas Tree (Goodbye, Faux!)

1. A scented candle or plug-in fragrance cannot replace the smell of a real tree — and there’s nothing more quintessentially Christmas as the smell of fresh evergreens.
2. Choosing a real tree lets you support your local tree farmers. In Ontario? Find a tree supplier near you that sells Ontario-grown trees (and wreaths.)
3. Tree farms provide oxygen — and because new seedlings are planted once trees are harvested, it’s sustainable.
4. Tree farms act as a home for wildlife and help to ensure water and soil are retained when it rains.
5. Unless you keep your artificial tree for more than 20 years or have to drive a long distance to get a real tree, it’s more eco-friendly to opt for a real tree, according to a study done in Montreal by Ellipsos.
6. Fresh evergreens help to bring nature indoors and offer a look that cannot be replaced by your usual artificial tree. Love the occasional quirky branch, a super-dense tree or a sparse look? You can find pine, spruce or fir that suits any of these natural styles.
7. Instead of committing to an artificial tree that works for your current home, you can choose a tree size that suits your space — so if you’re in a house now but planning to downsize in future years, you won’t be stuck with a large tree.
8. Forget having to open up a fake tree, prying apart branches, and bending them to look “just right.” With real trees what you see is what you get, and that means no huge set up is required. (And no moving around all the boxes in your closet to get to it.)
9. There’s no need to pack it up, either. Small space dwellers rejoice — come January 1st you don’t need to hunt for storage bags or rearrange your closet to fit a lumpy tree bag — simply leave your tree out on the curb on a designated tree pick-up day.
10. Unlike plastic trees that will eventually end up in a landfill, many municipals collect and recycle real trees — which are 100% biodegradable — and turn trees into mulch.

Browse H&H’s Christmas Greenery Ideas for tree decorating inspiration, DIY projects and holiday gifts. Plus, discover top Christmas tree decorating trends for 2017.