12.11.08

The Greenest Christmas Tree

Every year I get the same question, "What is greener, a real tree or a fake tree?"

You can read my blog posts about which one of those two trees is the greenest HERE, but this year I want to suggest something radical for your Christmas tree.

Rather than driving to the Christmas tree lot to find the perfect evergreen or scrounging around in your attic for that trusty fake tree, why not buy the greenest tree that will last long after December 25th?

Go to your local plant store, landscape shop, greenhouse, etc. and find a beautiful tree that is native to your geographic region. Put the tree in a beautiful pot and decorate it with your favorite ornaments. After the holidays, plant the tree in the ground, water it and watch it grow for years to come.

Imagine this new tradition. Each year you add more trees to your community, providing more oxygen and CO2 absorption. Your family can watch the trees grow as kids get bigger and things change. Then every year, around the holidays, you can take a walk and reminisce about the past and all the memories captured in the roots of those old Christmas trees.

Rather than homogeneous holidays when so many American households have the same type of tree plopped in the corner of the living room, we could have Red Ceders in Maryland, Ponderosa Pines in Colorado, Pinons (pronounced Pinion) in New Mexico and even a Palm Tree in Florida.

Let's leave a legacy of tree-lined streets and clean air by making each Christmas an opportunity to plant a new tree in our community, it really is the gift that keeps on giving.

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