UNITED STATES—There should be no stigma associated with cut Christmas trees. They grow on farms, not within natural ecosystems, as some believe. Like cut foliage, cut flowers and vegetables, they are an agricultural commodity. They generate no more green waste than an average lawn. Yet, potted Christmas trees are popular as an ‘environmentally responsible’ option.
Potted Christmas trees, however, can be more of an environmental detriment. Only those that perform for a few years consume less resources than cut Christmas trees. Almost all deteriorate too much during their first summer for a second Christmas. Therefore, they do not perform any more perpetually than cut trees. They are, however, costlier and smaller.
The expense of potted Christmas trees is proportionate to the resources which they use. Proportionately, they require more fertilizers, pesticides and infrastructure than cut trees. This is also relevant environmentally. So is their synthetic growing medium, plastic pots, and for some, mylar wrapping. Transportation is more efficient only for the smallest sorts.
Potted Christmas trees can be difficult to accommodate.
Regardless, for many households, potted Christmas trees remain after Christmas. Some of the most expensive sorts are fortunately more likely to be practical sorts. They may be compact types that are conducive to confinement within big pots. If so, they may function as Christmas trees for a few years. Afterward, they might fit nicely into their home garden.
This includes a few cultivars of spruce as well as fir and even pine. Dwarf Alberta spruce is easy to accommodate in both pots and gardens. Large specimens are expensive and rare though, so few need accommodation now. Blue spruce is more practical as a potted Christmas tree but grows larger. Eastern redcedar can stay in a large pot for a few years.
The most common potted Christmas trees are Italian stone pine and Canary Island pine. These are the small sorts with cheap ornaments and mylar wrapping. They too often lack identification or description of how large they grow. Consequently, those who plant them too often provide inadequate space. Such big trees can be very destructive as they grow.
Highlight: Eastern Redcedar
Like the majority of cedars, Eastern redcedar, Juniperus virginiana, is not really a ‘cedar’. According to its genus name, it is a juniper. That may be why it is less common here than within its native range. Even in its native range, most grow wild rather than in cultivation. Junipers gained an unfavorable reputation after becoming overly common decades ago.
Eastern redcedar has traditionally been more utilitarian than merely aesthetic. It can be a delightful Christmas tree, either cut or potted. While old cedar closets are native incense cedar, cedar chests are Eastern redcedar. Baton Rouge derived its name from a red stick demarcation pole. Indigenous people traditionally used Eastern redcedar for such poles.
Wild Eastern redcedar trees are variable and range in height from 15 to 50 feet high. Cultivars develop compact conical or columnar form. Some are grayish or golden green. The small evergreen foliar scales, particularly juvenile foliage, can be somewhat prickly. The rusty red to grayish brown bark can display a handsomely fibrous or shaggy texture. The ‘silicicola‘ variety of Eastern redcedar is rare.
Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.
