Real tree Vs artificial tree? Is it a status symbol?

[CatsWhiskers1976]

Just putting up our artificial tree and having some thoughts.
At work the other day we got to discussing Christmas trees, and the old real vs artificial debate. It seemed to me that there was a bit of 'snobbery' against those who had artificial trees (maybe that's just where I work!). There were those who said artificial trees were just TERRIBLE for the environment. Given that most people I know have had their tree for many years (our family one was about 40 years old before it was replaced) is this really true? Cutting down live trees is okay for the environment? I have never had a real tree, growing up I didn't know anyone who had a real tree and in our circles it was usually only the slightly more well off people who ever had real trees. Apologies if this offends anyone, it was just my experience as a child growing up in working class Scotland.
Some people at work looked horrified at the thought of having a 'plastic' tree (mind, they were going off to cut the perfect one down on their 'estate').
So what do you think? Real Vs artificial? I spent a fair bit a few years ago to get a really nice realistic looking artificial tree which I hope will last years. At the time we had cats and I was afraid they would get hurt/never leave the real tree alone so I have stuck with artificial.
What does everyone else have? Do you judge people with fake trees?

The only thing I dislike about today's real Nordman trees is that they hardly smell; you avoid the needle shower but pay by losing that lovely piney scent

I'd thought of getting a diffuser or something, but they all smell like toilet cleaner - I wonder if anyone knows of a truly realistic one (without breaking the bank)?

I also have a second artificial one in my dining room and, while it is smaller and not as beautiful as my main tree, it gives space to the every expanding number of hand made or special occasion tree decorations that we have accumulated over the years. So I love it and it makes me smile as I WFH at the dining room table.

Middle class. Went from a staunch position of real trees only (from a childhood of real trees only) through a phase of having both (fake in the back with the kids stuff on, real in the front with my level-11 wankery 'individual ornaments from my life-journey and travels' in the sitting room) to a place now where I fully embrace fakery.

They fit better, look lovely, dont need to crouch underneath them once a day to give them a drink or hoover up dropped needles, and then dispose of the fucker come January. AND I'm not shelling £40-£50 quid a year for something I'm going to bin after a month. Fuck that.

Who knows if one day I will go back to real? I'm leaving my tree options but right now I'll stick with my plastic ones.

We have an artificial one in the loft, but for last 3 or 4 years have had a real one at dd's request. Loft tree is 20 years old, so has had 16 or 17 years of use and would be good for another 16 years I reckon.

Can't believe the price of real trees - £40 for a 6ft one!

We do use our real trees as fuel on the log burner once we're finished with them. DH said when they're recycled they're often dug into beaches to help with sand erosion which I didn't know.

Don't try the real candles on trees unless you really know what you are doing! We nearly burnt our house down doing that last year!

My dc still talk about the day our christmas tree caught alight!

I have a real tree because yes it is better for the environment than having a plastic tree which will take god knows how long to decompose, of ever. I try and cut down plastic consumption massively generally though.

I don’t like how plastic trees look either 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not sure which class I'd fall into. But as a kid we had real trees and I've always had real trees as an adult.

I don't judge anyone for having a fake tree. It is just personal preference.

Tried both and hate both. The mess with a real tree is awful, although the smell is lovely. If I resurrect my Xmas tree this year (currently in loft) it will at least be constantly recycled every year,

Working class here and always had a real tree growing up. Couldn't consider anything these days. My mum buys those little real trees in pots that still have their roots. She plants it out in the garden then digs it up every year and brings it inside again so much better for environment. Not sure what she does when the tree gets too big. Think she just buys another. Hmmm can't remember but I think she's got about 3 down the garden now.

I bought my tree 16 years ago in Woolworths for £25 (I know because I still have the original box with price sticker on!) and it’s still going strong. I’m quite attached to it now, I’d be really sad to get rid of it!

I am working class, I also have lots of other things mumsnet consider low class, like a grey living room, a huge tv and a corner sofa! I don’t care what other people think though, they all make me happy and that’s all that matters.

We have a nice little Christmas tree in a pot in the garden - it was someone's living tree one year and they didn't have space to keep it in their garden. I've debated bringing it inside but I think they're only happy for indoors for a short time - a friend has one that really starts to wilt after about ten days.

I only have an opinion who look down on other people's choices. Who cares? If you love your tree that's all that matters. I have a wooden one which I love.

We have two artificial trees.

One which is a silver aluminium pom pom tree and is 60 years old this year.

One regular one which is about 20 years old. It always looks fantastic. I look at artificial trees now and they all seem so bare and spindly and obviously fake in comparison.

I do love the smell of a real one, but I think if you invest in a good artificial one and use it for many years that it's better for the environment.

I (probably middle class upbringing) grew up with a real tree and definitely prefer it. My dh (also middle class) had a fake tree and prefers that. We have the fake one up this year but it's one of those ones that look like a tree and not one of those ones that seem to change with the trend like white leaves or black or fibre optic (all of which my dh likes but is a step too far for me!).

I’m massively allergic to real trees so we have a fake one.

Ours is at least 15 years old and still looks as good as the day we bought it so I’m sure we’ll get another 15 years out of it.

We have white lights, plenty of tinsel and a mishmash of ornaments we’ve collected over the years.

Oh and we have an artificial door wreath too.

Real tree, always. Similarly to a PP, white lights only, no single color scheme, and baubles that have been purchased or made over the years. Very organic, fairly unpretentious.

We have a great tree recycling plan around here. Depending on need, they either turn the trees into mulch/woodchips or take it to the coast to help reduce coastal erosion. It helps to build the dunes. There are other places that use them for habitats for wildlife or to help filter silt from water after big storms. I figure they'd be using trees for that in any case, so this gives the trees a few weeks to be beautiful before they become useful.

I keep hanging my nose over this for another year, even though it's horribly expensive: www.thewhitecompany.com/uk/Grand-Spruce-Christmas-Tree---6ft/p/WGHG6

Okay so it's fake, but in all honesty the realism's astonishing

I don't think there is any status symbol in it.

But real trees are better for the planet.

You would have to keep an artificial tree for AT LEAST 10 years to offset the carbon footprint involved in making it.

Most small Christmas Tree farms are actually very sustainable and can even have a positive impact on the environment.

Interesting article here:

onetreeplanted.org/blogs/stories/real-vs-artificial-christmas-trees?ads_cmpid=1633774254&ads_adid=83741426597&ads_matchtype=b&ads_network=g&ads_creative=396983968039&utm_term=%2Breal%20vs%20%2Bartificial%20%2Btrees&ads_targetid=kwd-838132757506&utm_campaign=&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&ttv=2&gclid=CjwKCAiAwrf-BRA9EiwAUWwKXhaaIeNrv1nKyd8hSgxuEcJVgpnmYOLpt9Xc2PyO52fqKq-RjOGQiRoCJX4QAvD_BwE

Working class growing up: always had an artificial one.
Middle class now: always have an artificial one!

It's just preference and not something anyone should be judging someone else on. We've had ours for 10 years, the lights come attached so there's no faffing with knotted ones, it's nice and neat and still looks healthy come January! I think real ones look lovely but not so much I'd want one.

We have a real tree that lives in a big pot in the garden for 50 weeks of the year, and in the living room for 2. So it's free. This is year 6 and may be the last unless we cut a hole in the ceiling.

It never sheds, and makes the whole house smell Christmassy.

I think it is snobbery. We always grew up with a fake tree, as real trees were too expensive, bought a real one as soon as I had my own place!

How many years of getting a real tree wrapped in plastic netting would it take to have used the same weight in plastic netting as the weight of a plastic tree? I wonder. Plus you don't have to ferry it home by car.
IDK OP - I come from the same background as you and I agree - I would rather have a plastic tree, specially now that they are so realistic looking. DH is really keen on a real tree though so we still get one - they're always irritatingly lopsided and natural, not like the artificial ones that have a nice regular distribution of branches, don't shed, don't need watered, and don't need to be recycled each year (our town here in the Black Forest has a system where you pay 2 quid for a stamped ribbon to tie round it, and then the Saturday after 12th night the council comes and picks them all up to take to composting. You can only buy the ribbon at the council buildings and the tourist information. Some years I end up buying the ribbon before I get the actual tree, which is very depressing!)

We’re pretty middle class. We always used to have real trees but we got sick of hoovering pine needles up in July. The little buggers get everywhere. We bought an expensive fake tree about 15 years ago and it comes out every year looking good as new. What’s not to like?

As an adult I’ve found it’s definitely a class thing.
I had a working class mum and middle class dad and always had a fake tree - as did everyone we knew (v working class area of London). Now live in a more middle class area but still have a fake tree with multicoloured lights and tinsel. I sometimes think I might try a real tree but I can’t be arsed with the watering and disposal tbh. I’m wfh looking at my tree now and I love it in all its 80s glory. 😂