This year, when choosing what type of Christmas tree to put up in your home, consider buying a live tree. Even though fake trees have been touted as environmentally friendly in the past because they can be used year after year, they take resources to make and ship (most coming from China) and they are usually made from PVC, a harmful petroleum-based plastic. They are also often cheaply built and fall apart quickly, needing to be replaced every few years with the old ones ending up in the landfill.

Real trees provide jobs to local tree farmers and are grown on land that would otherwise be in row crop agriculture. Tree farms help preserve the topsoil and provide great wildlife habitat. Also, when you are done with your real tree, it can be staked in your yard next to a feeder for bird shelter, chipped up to use as mulch in flower beds, or even donated to your local lake to be used as a fish crib. It is best to buy a real tree directly from the tree farm so that the profits stay with the local farmers, not the big box stores. You can even go cut it down yourself and make it a family adventure. However, make sure that the trees are raised responsibly without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

If an tree allergy or aversion to needles in the carpet requires you to buy a fake tree, buy a quality tree that will last a lifetime and is made without harmful chemicals. Living trees with roots are not a good choice in Wisconsin because they can only be kept inside for a few days so they don't break dormancy and must be planted before spring - hard to do with frozen soil. Please consider this information before buying your tree this year.

Have a Merry Christmas!