Truth beneath the tinsel: Christmas tree farms and sustainability

If I take the backroads en route to my gym, I pass a small family-owned nursery. Every November, their outdoor flowerbeds are replaced by rows of proud Douglas firs — sturdy soldiers, alone in their resistance against winter dormancy.

I can smell them before I see them — the sharp aroma of piney terpene molecules, released into the air by affronts from axe, spike, and chain. Aromatized violence. One can’t help but wonder if our festivities take a small, seasonal toll on Mother Earth.

What’s the greenest option: real trees or artificial? With approximately 25 million to 30 million fresh Christmas trees sold annually in the U.S., the question leans hard into climate guilt. Are real trees sustainable? Are we decimating swathes of nature for a fleeting holiday decoration? Surprisingly, the answer is … quite the opposite.

Here’s the reality check: Christmas tree farms aren’t ecological villains. In fact, they’re an environmental boon in more ways than one.

Tree farms are renewable by design

Unlike the images you may be apt to conjure of clear-cut forests, Christmas trees are not yanked from pristine woodlands. Instead, they are grown on farms — over 350,000 acres of farmland in the United States alone. These farms operate like any other crop system, with one notable difference: each harvested tree is replaced with 1 to 3 new saplings.

Think of it like seasonal agriculture, except instead of carrots, you’re cultivating firs, pines, and spruces that take about 7 to 10 years to grow. In that time, these adolescent conifers are also pulling carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a process that directly opposes the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.

Unsung climate heroes

While growing, Christmas trees provide some impressive ecosystem benefits:

• Carbon capture: Like all plants, trees are carbon sinks. A single acre of Christmas trees can sequester about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide annually while releasing oxygen. Multiply that by 350,000 acres of tree farms, and you’re looking at a sizable contribution in carbon fixation.
• Soil health & water retention: Tree roots prevent soil erosion, maintain the landscape, and act like sponges, improving groundwater filtration and retention.
• Biodiversity boosters: Tree farms create microhabitats. Birds nest in the branches, insects thrive in the soil, and small mammals call the fields home — making farms rich, temporary ecosystems.

Compare that to an artificial tree. While synthetic trees are reusable, they’re made primarily of PVC plastics — a petroleum product — and steel, both of which are resource-heavy to produce and impossible to recycle.

End of life: Biodegradable wins

Once the holiday season ends, real trees biodegrade naturally. Many municipalities encourage composting or mulching programs, turning Christmas trees into everything from erosion barriers to fresh garden compost.

On the flip side, artificial trees, which last an average of 6 to 10 years, ultimately end up in landfills where they’ll take centuries to break down.

The bigger picture: Supporting local economies

Christmas tree farms are often family-run businesses, passed down through generations. They contribute to local economies by providing jobs, supporting seasonal markets, and keeping agricultural land in productive use. Buying local trees also reduces the carbon footprint associated with long-distance transportation.

The verdict? A real tree is greener

If sustainability is your priority, opting for a locally grown, real Christmas tree is the clear winner. Not only are you supporting a renewable, environmentally beneficial industry, but you’re also contributing to a circular economy.

So this year, as you debate real or fake, remember this: Christmas tree farms are a bit like the trees themselves: steadfast, resilient, and beneficial.

You can enjoy your tree relatively guilt-free …

… can’t make the same guarantee for the cookies, though.

Leah Elson is an American scientist, author, and public science communicator. She has two pit bulls and sixty-eight houseplants.