A new trend has emerged just in time for the holidays – purchasing your Christmas tree online! Big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s have made fresh-cut trees available to anyone who doesn’t have the time to sift through dozens of trees, spinning them and unfurling the branches looking for the perfect one. Not to mention those who don’t have the trunk space to accommodate a well-respected 8-9 foot monstrosity. So before you lose hope and settle on a Charlie Brown tree just because you don’t have a pickup, order your Christmas tree right to your front door.
I have to admit when I first heard about this surprising foray into e-commerce I wasn’t sure how I felt. But then I thought about my little Honda coupe and how much I dread shoving even a five-foot tree in the back every year. Besides, it’s usually February before I’m able to get all the needles out and the sap just gets everywhere! So having the option to order my tree to-go is actually quite a relief. And when I realized that I could have a tree delivered anywhere in the US, I thought about sending one to my parents in Kingston, New York.
When I informed my Brooklyn buddies that they didn’t have to skip on the Christmas tree tradition this year – none of whom have their own vehicles – they were elated. After all, Christmas trees are a logistical nightmare in a bustling city like New York. No wonder Rockefeller Center boasts a tree big enough for half the city to enjoy. But it still begs the question, “Where to put the presents?” I couldn’t bear the answer being anything but “Under the Christmas tree”. So I took the plunge and started looking online.
Online Tree Sellers
The top contenders for tree pricing, as well as quality, are Lowe’s and Home Depot. They ship anywhere and have reasonable prices. Though Lowe’s has comparable prices, Home Depot factors in Free Shipping on most trees. On average, a typical 8-9 foot tree costs $60-$90. While Home Depot has the edge on Shipping, they lack in variety. Their website only shows Fraser Firs ranging from 4.5 foot to 9-foot. However, Lowe’s stocks the top three popular varieties of Fraser, Douglas and Noble firs.
If you’re skeptical about the quality of the tree, consider the alternative. When choosing trees off the lot, they have most likely been harvested in October, housed for weeks, and finally shipped across the country. By the time Christmas morning arrives, your ornaments are sliding off the drooping branches and half the tree has shed itself onto your floor. But when you order your tree online, it’s most likely cut to order. What a concept! Imagine having a tree that was cut at the time of selection instead of weeks in advance. How’s that for quality assurance?
Christmas Tree Traditions
Though purchasing a tree online balks at the traditional Christmas tree hunt, it allows more people, that weren’t previously able or willing, to purchase a tree for decorating. It’s an ingenious marketing trend, really. All of those inner city families that settled on fake trees, all of those elderly couples who held stead-fast to their porcelain replicas, and all of those shut-ins that will finally admit they really like the holidays, will finally be able to celebrate the joy of decorating a tree this year. And they won’t have to worry about how to get it from the lot to their living room.
It looks like we might be working on a new Christmas tradition that will soon become the norm. The next step – have someone decorate that monstrosity!
Syd Martin writes for Premiere Tree Services. Topics of interest include nature, green living, and environmental issues.
