Real or Artificial Christmas Tree… Which Do You Prefer?
I love both real and artificial Christmas trees. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tree I didn’t love! Real trees are hard to do in South Florida. My experience with one fresh tree shaped the choice I made for our family. Then add our winter temps that are still in the 80’s you have a recipe for all the needles to be on the floor long before Christmas.
I learned this the hard way back when I was a single mom with 2 kids. We bought the Christmas tree the day before Thanksgiving and set it in the stand for the branches to fall. When we woke the day after Thanksgiving to decorate the tree…. all the needles were on the floor under it. I will never forget the look on my kids faces. And if you have been a single mom, you know another tree is not in the budget. Thank you to my mom and dad who bought us our first artificial Christmas tree! They saved some broken hearts that day. Since then, most of my trees are artificial. Besides… how could I get a real fuchsia or silver or black tree with the real ones. lol I do love to pick up a really small one to at least get the fresh pine smell. I do have to admit, I have been known to stand in the middle of local tree lots just to get my fix of pine smell for the season. What is your preference? I would love to hear which you prefer in the comments!
Giving family ornaments a place on either kind of tree
My experience with one Christmas tree doesn’t establish how every fresh tree will behave. Whichever kind you choose, follow the supplier’s care and lighting guidance and check that each branch supports the ornament’s weight.
For the main guide, read how to display ornaments without a Christmas tree. For care between seasons, see my ornament storage guide.