Christmas tree guide: pre-lit, artificial, or real?
A Christmas tree is arguably the most important of all your Christmas decorations. Once it’s up, you know the season has started! There are loads to choose from and you may be feeling a little Christmas confusion. But don’t stress: with our Christmas tree guide, we’re going to go over all the options to help you make the best choice. Let’s get rockin’!
By Alex- 13th Nov 2024
- 6min read
The real deal: your guide to real Christmas trees
Let’s start with the original: the real, living Christmas tree. These are grown in the ground before being cut and delivered straight to you, and people love their traditional look, vibrant natural colours, and irresistible scent. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a real Christmas tree!
Real Christmas tree varieties
There are a few different varieties out there including Nordman fir, Norway spruce, and blue spruce.
Nordman Fir is a fantastic festive choice which retains its needles for a long time. The needles are also softer and rounded, making them ideal for child and pet-friendly homes.
A Norway spruce may not last as long, so we’d recommend picking one up no earlier than early-mid December, but you’ll get a wonderful rich scent to fill your home with Christmas magic!
How to choose a real Christmas tree
Unlike artificial trees, the size of your real Christmas tree is a bit more variable because you can’t tell nature what to do!
Measure the space that your Christmas tree will sit in, making sure it isn’t near any heat sources such as radiators or fireplaces. Take a note of the height as well as the width – you don’t want it poking out too far and getting in the way, or you’re likely to knock baubles off which puts a dampener on your Christmas spirit.
If the real Christmas tree you’re looking at has a size range i.e. ‘5-6ft’, play it safe and make sure your ideal tree size is between those measurements. A couple of choice cuts here and there with secateurs once it arrives is a common occurrence with real Christmas trees, but you want to keep these ‘haircuts’ as minimal as possible.
How to look after a real Christmas tree
A real Christmas tree is a living thing, so treat it the same as you would any plant.
If it’s too close to a heat source, the tree will dry out, lose its needles, and look very sad – not very Christmassy at all.
Always keep it well watered! You’ll want a Christmas tree stand which has a built-in reservoir so you can keep it topped up, as trees can be thirsty things – especially the larger ones. Check your tree daily to see if it needs more water and top up when necessary.
Feel free to snip some branches if they stick out a bit too much, but try to keep this at a minimum – trees have feelings too! You may want to pop a tea towel underneath the tree as you’re doing this, as sap can sometimes drip from the cut ends.
How do I dispose of a real Christmas tree?
Well, that’s put a dampener on our festive mood. But sure, here’s what to do with your real Christmas tree when the season’s over…
Firstly, your local council may well do a local Christmas tree pickup. Depending on the council, they may ask you simply to pop it outside on a specific day. For larger trees, it’s usually helpful for you to saw it in half to help them out.
Did you know your Christmas tree can help you out in the garden? It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Here are some of the ways you can put it to good use, once the decorations come off of course:
- Trim off smaller branches to bulk out your compost heap
- Use a garden shredder to turn other branches and the trunk into mulch, or pop in the compost
- Cut your tree up and place them in a pile – this will make a home for insects and other wildlife over winter!
Don’t forget to read our blog on ways to help wildlife in winter for more great tips.
Fake it ‘til you make it: the beauty of artificial trees
As lovely as a real tree is, there’s plenty of reasons why an artificial Christmas tree may be a better choice for you:
- They’re reusable: simply pop your Christmas tree into storage when the party’s over, ready to use again next year
- They’re a consistent size: you know exactly what size you’re getting right out the box
- You can save on decorations: many artificial trees are part-decorated, pre-lit, or flocked for an extra festive vibe
- They’re low maintenance: you won’t have to worry about watering, trimming branches, or disposing of the tree later
- They’re allergy friendly: no sneezes or sniffles!
What’s a flocked Christmas tree?
Flocked Christmas trees have clumps of artificial snow on their branches to give the tree an extra-festive appearance. ‘Frosted’ trees have a lighter dusting of fake snow. Both look wintery and lovely.
Pre-lit artificial trees
Ever got yourself in a tangle with Christmas tree lights? Do you spend ages hanging them on the tree and still manage to miss bits? Sounds like you need a pre-lit Christmas tree.
Pre-lit trees have LED or fibreoptic lights built into their branches, so you don’t have to worry about wrestling with lights. This makes decorating your tree so much easier, and there’s plenty to choose from: whether you like the ambience of warm white, like to keep it classy with cool white, or fancy going all-out with multicolour lights, there’ll be a pre-lit tree to light up your home!
Thanks to the brilliance of LED lights, they’re also nice and cheap to run and won’t emit much heat at all, giving you one less thing to worry about this Christmas.
Trust us – once you’ve gone pre-lit, it’s hard to imagine going back!
Pop-up Christmas trees
Christmas is a wonderful time – and often quite stressful. There are lights to hang, inflatables to set up, food to cook, Christmas films to watch… and of course, the tree to put up.
Thankfully, the tree part can be nice and easy with a pop-up Christmas tree! They’re incredibly easy to set up, as well as put away once the season is over.
Whether you’re after a tree with a traditional appearance, or something big, bold and bonkers, pop-up trees are available in all shapes and sizes to make your Christmas an easy one!
Pop-up Christmas trees are particularly good for smaller spaces, or as a bonus tree for the kids’ room!
The finishing touches
Christmas tree stands are a must-have for a real tree, as you’ll need a water reservoir to keep it looking its best. Many Christmas tree stands have adjustable screws to help you make sure your tree is standing up straight – or it’ll look like it’s had too many festive tipples!
Most artificial trees have stands built-in, but in the interests of making everything as Christmassy as possible, adding a beautiful Christmas tree skirt to your tree gives it the perfect festive foundation!
Skirts do a brilliant job at adding some Christmas charm to the bottom of the tree as well as hiding any unsightly water reservoirs or stands. It’s just waiting for some presents to be put around it!
Now you’ve got your perfect tree, it’s time to get decorating! For tips on how to decorate your tree perfectly, you can visit our blog here.
For everything to make your Christmas a magical one, visit our Christmas hub!
We’d love to see your Christmas creations! Share your tree pics with us on: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & X.
