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A Real Christmas Tree Does More Than Spruce Up Your House

© Susan Ward

Real tree or artificial? Think back to the Christmases of your childhood. Remember tramping through the snow with your family searching for that perfect tree? Do you want your children to have memories like this or memories of the parking lot of the big-box retailer where you picked up an artificial tree? The annual Christmas tree search is a cherished tradition you can still share with your family today; at many tree farms, you can choose and cut your own tree, and enjoy activities such as sleigh rides besides! If you've never visited a tree farm, why not start a new tradition this year? Get a taste of the tree farm experience online at the Christmas Tree Farmers of Ontario Virtual Christmas Tree Farm. (They also offer a page chockful of Activities for Kids, perfect for those indoor days over the holidays).

As of this writing, B.C. tree farms do not have much of an online presence. In fact, I haven't been able to find any sites comparable to the Ontario Christmas Tree Farmers site. But this is the season that tree farmers advertise heavily offline, so check your local newspapers to find a B.C. tree farm to visit.

Whether you go to a tree farm to choose and cut your own, or buy a tree from a nursery or tree lot, you should choose a real tree rather than an artificial one to celebrate the holiday season. A real tree has a look and feel that artificial trees still can't match, and an incomparable fragrance. Besides:

Growing and harvesting Christmas trees is a Canadian industry, and like all other farmers, Christmas tree growers deserve your support. 98 % of all trees harvested in Canada are grown on Christmas tree farms, according to the Canadian Christmas Tree Growers' Association. Christmas trees are a green, friendly crop, pleasant for people and animals to live near. From the time the seedling is planted, it takes 8 to 12 years for a tree to reach harvestable size. In 1999, Christmas tree farm cash receipts were $71 million dollars, according to Statistics Canada. Here in B.C., we're small-time suppliers compared to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario. Still, each year 800,000 to a million trees are grown at more than 400 B.C. tree farms ( "The case for a fresh-cut tree" by Steve Whysall).

I'm fortunate enough to live in an area where there are several tree farms. For one thing, Christmas tree farms look and smell good, unlike some other agricultural industries. For another, being surrounded by tree farms is a great environmental advantage as the trees eliminate the carbon dioxide created by the use of fossil fuels. The Canadian Christmas Tree Growers' Association points out that a one acre Christmas tree plantation can remove up to 13,000 kg of airborne pollutants per year. Just one acre of Christmas trees produces enough oxygen to support eighteen people (Real Tree Facts). And tree farms are a haven for many birds and other animals.

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