I hate Christmas trees with passion.
Imagine growing a seedling for many years in a monoculture, just for it to get cut down and used as a dumb decoration.
And it even isn’t the “cool” type of dumb decoration. You buy it, you get stung all the time while transporting it, you’ll have needles lying around all over your apartment, it’s a fire hazard, and after not even a few days or weeks you’ll have to throw it out, which is also super annoying too.
Even worse are those ridiculous plastic Christmas trees. Don’t even get me started on these ones!
Solution
Get a (big) houseplant instead!
There are many options for you out there.
You can hang your ornamentals on them and enjoy your own “Christmas tree” all year around without any guilt.
Even better, you even aren’t bound to any season. For example, why not hang easter eggs on there in the spring?
Bonus idea!
You can blow out and then colour your eggs, then scrape nice patterns in the shell with a sharp knife. This way, you can prevent plastic use and even have a nice gift!
(Picture taken from Pinterest)
Ideas
If you don’t have pets, a Monstera might be great for you.
Those are very common and super easy to propagate via cuttings. Just ask your friends or neighbours if you can get one for free :)
Indoor trees, like lemon or avocado trees for example, are a great option if you don’t want to spend a single cent and grow them from seed, which is what I’m doing at the moment.
You can also decorate smaller plants, like a Pothos for example.
Decorating your own bonsai would also be an eyecatcher ;)
There are literally endless options out there for you to explore!
Rosemary is also a decent option if you want something that looks more like a christmas tree, but tabletop size
Those are very common and super easy to propagate via cuttings. Just ask your friends or neighbours if you can get one for free :)
Pirate a plant today!
I’m going to be referring to propagating seedings as plant piracy from now on. Thanks for that.
…now I’m remembering that in the US you can patent plants and sue people for unauthorized use, so this isn’t even a joke anymore.
Also proplifting is easy as can be with succulents. You can pick leaves up off the floor around the display and just set them on some dirt at home. Next thing you know you have a new plant.
My family has a veritable forest of 1’ to 3’ fake Christmas trees.
Our cats love it.
I got a cat tree in the shape of a Yule tree this year.
Genius!
A decent compromise available here in Germany is to rent a small tree, with roots and everything, that will go back into the ground after the holidays. When I was a kid we also never bought the chopped ones, usually a smaller tree with roots as well that we would plant in our garden afterwards.
Using a fake tree we found on the side of the road. Perfect size!
Also, learn to maintain a poinsettia or a Christmas cactus. (You probably don’t have enough light inside for the former.)
Dang, my seedlings are too small to decorate!
Guess I’ll just have Christmas in February.
Great idea! We are lucky in that we go hunting trees on my mom’s property, which really needs to be thinned out for fire mitigation. They don’t look like lot trees- they have more character so each year’s tree is unique.
I admire your passion on the subject. My parents always had a real Christmas tree. It seemed like such a hassle to me and a strange thing to do.
Or just get a pole and celebrate Festivus instead (December 23)
String light trees are really cool. They can go anywhere. I don’t do xmas, but here are some examples. https://www.shelterness.com/wall-christmas-trees/
My mom decorates one of her floor lamps every year.
I bought a plastic one tbh. My wife never had any Christmas cheer growing up and she really wants to now :) couldn’t really take it away from her
use a Norfolk island pine.
Our tree decorates herself, although I do like to add the felt ornaments I made a few years ago of some of my favourite birds! Our beautiful Pōhutukawa and her manu
Wow! That looks very beautiful!
What tree is that? And where do you live, because everything is green and blooming right now?
It’s a Pōhutukawa 😊 I live in Aotearoa, so it’s summer for us.
We’ve been doing this for a few years too! However, the plants we have are not super well suited for it ^^
I love the second picture… We have a very similar plant with very thick stalks in the attic now and are moving soon, maybe should have it in the living room in the new place for decorating!
