To Have or Not to Have a Living Christmas Tree

PHOTO BY KAREN DAY

BY ARIANNA CRETEAU

It’s that time of year again for dragging an iconic, giant holiday dispenser of fresh pine scent into your living room. Despite rising prices and the implications of environmental guilt, Treasure Valley buyers are predictably readying to flock to Christmas tree lots before their Thanksgiving dinner has been digested. But beyond the Nativity, what’s the reality behind the jolly tree business? And of course, let us admit to considering conversion to the convenience of the “unreal” tree.

“Farmers sell ten years’ worth of work and investment in basically two weeks. It’s a unique business,” said Tim O’Conner, Executive Director of the National Christmas Tree Association. “When you buy a real tree, even the largest growers in the industry are family farms.”

There are two types of Christmas tree growers: wholesale growers and choose-and-cut growers. Wholesale tree growers grow, cut, load, and sell trees to big chains, charitable groups, and corner lots. Choose-and-cut farms are where consumers cut and bring home their own trees. Idaho is not a major Christmas tree state—most trees you’ll find in the Treasure Valley are sourced from surrounding states like Washington and Oregon. Oregon just so happens to be the largest Christmas tree grower in the United States. Approximately 25-30 million trees are sold every year.

A Christmas tree’s life begins as a seed from a pinecone. Nurseries plant and grow the seeds for three to five years. Tree farms then purchase the seedlings and typically plant them in early spring. Farmers will then manage and maintain the trees for six to ten years. Once a tree is harvested, they last for about one month, usually in our living rooms. Despite viral internet advice, trees don’t need any fancy potions to stay healthy—they thrive with just water.

A familiar tradition of the Hopkins Christmas tree lot in Nampa.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRETT HOPKINS

Every year, many a tattered cardboard box is pulled from the garage with a ready-to-set-up artificial tree. Their converts cite cost-effectiveness, sustainable reuse, and no dead needles to clog your vacuum. A perfumed candle offers removable fresh pine scent.

The retail motherload of millennial artificial trees is Balsam Hill, a flagship brand under Balsam Brands. Balsam Brands is based right here in Boise, as well as Redwood City, Dublin, the Philippines, and Windsor, Canada. CEO Mac Harman founded Balsam Hill, inspired by a relative with tree allergies. As the “lead tree designer,” Harman analyzes trees all the way to their needle tips, creating extremely realistic Christmas trees. Artificial trees are used in the entertainment industry, retail settings, residential buildings, offices, and more. Perfection is purchasable without the cold nipping your nose.

Despite the differences between real and artificial, Balsam Brands says there is no such thing as a bad Christmas tree—tradition is what it’s all about. In some cases, they’ve heard of families passing down their artificial tree like an heirloom from one member to another—and with the cost of realism running from $800 to more than $2,000, extended use makes financial sense. And did you know maintaining an artificial tree lengthens its display life? With a lifespan of six to ten years, artificial trees may not last until your kids go to college, but the true environmental impacts are often overshadowed.

O’Conner claims that the benefits of buying “real” far outweigh the artificial. “By choosing to buy a real tree….you’re keeping your money flowing in local communities, where the money buys goods and services locally, rather than sending it to a factory in China or some corporate headquarters,” he said. “There’s just no comparing environmental footprints to where a fake tree comes even remotely close to being better."

The Risch family is in the Christmas tree business all year long. thrive with just water.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JORDAN RISCH

When comparing natural and artificial trees, it’s important to understand their carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted due to the consumption of fossil fuels. While it grows, a tree absorbs carbon dioxide and other gasses and then releases much-needed oxygen. Trees lower surface temperatures, provide natural habitats for wildlife, and filter water. Transportation of trees is typically to local customers, reducing their carbon footprint compared to artificial trees that are shipped and manufactured from overseas.

Few trees are cut directly from the woods. A majority are grown and replanted intentionally by farmers. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, there are approximately 350 million Christmas trees from Christmas tree farms right now.

At the end of the holiday season, many cities have tree recycling programs. Boise, Eagle, Nampa, Star, and Meridian, to name a few, participate in city Christmas tree recycling programs. Trees can be composted or turned into mulch and wood chips. 97% of households in Boise participate in the city’s compost program and are eligible for two yards of finished and free compost per year.

During the low-demand years, trees that were of ultimately of no value ended up being sold for pulp or to other secondary markets. Jordan’s Garden Center and Seasonal Market donate unsold trees at the end of the season to Zoo Boise for animal enrichment. Almost all the animals at the zoo, from the smallest of birds to the mighty lion, benefit from Christmas trees.

A seven-foot Christmas tree takes 8-12 years to mature.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE ASSOCIATION

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, an excess of wholesale trees fueled low demand. increased competition, and price wars among sellers ensued, followed by the 2008 recession.

Managing trees is a costly endeavor, so economic factors meant fewer trees were planted. Fast forward to today—supply is tight and demand is high—and Christmas tree lots from the Treasure Valley to New York City are selling out every year.

Started in 1942, Hopkins Evergreens in Nampa is one of the oldest family-owned Christmas tree businesses in Idaho. Brett Hopkins, the Operations Manager at Hopkins Evergreens, says it’s now difficult for start-up businesses to find inventory.

“Back when my dad started, they used to grow, cut, and ship the trees down here. That was over 30 years ago when he started growing trees in Oregon. Then he got connected with a grower up there, and has been using him instead ever since,” said Hopkins. He grew up around the family business and has seen the industry change over time.

Artificial Christmas trees are the specialty of Boise-based Balsam Brands, a leader in the industry.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BALSAM BRANDS

Costs of trees have steadily risen each year due to demand, weather, inflation, fuel, and labor. Average trees cost around $50 to $100. A heat wave in the Pacific Northwest in the summer of 2021 substantially impacted Christmas trees. Ideal growing conditions require long cool summers and enough moisture. Many farms found their crops to be damaged, affecting years’ worth of work and future sales.

Trends also play a role in what types of trees are in demand. Instead of fuller trees like pine trees, Jordan Risch, the owner of Jordan’s Garden Center and Seasonal Market, said more people are looking for what he calls “Pinterest trees,” or trees with fewer branches and an open concept. Risch says selling a tree that’s “not perfect” actually gives customers the opportunity to buy more affordable trees.

At Hopkins Evergreens, during COVID, new customers made the switch from artificial to real trees because they had more time at home and wanted a more traditional Christmas experience. “The cost of a Christmas tree is going up a little bit. I can’t blame people for wanting to buy an artificial tree that they can just slap together,” said Hopkins. “I may be biased from how I grew up, but a fake Christmas tree feels like a fake Christmas.”

Real or artificial? The Christmas tree discourse appears to be as divided as our country’s politics. As the holidays approach, however, does it really matter if you choose to gather around a tree that resembles a revolving disco ball, a Pinterest picture, or a weed from the Grinch’s garden? After all, a tradition is what you make it.