Natural Christmas Trees Enjoy A Revival

Drawn by the appealing aroma or nostalgic for family tradition, Connecticut families are increasingly turning back to real Christmas trees, area growers and a national association report.

Whatever the reason, more families are deciding to make the trip to dozens of farms in the region to find the perfect live Christmas tree.

The National Christmas Tree Association reports that about 36 million natural trees will be sold this holiday season. That’s about 700,000 more than last year and almost 2 million more than 1998, although it still falls short of the record 37.2 million trees sold in 1995.

“It appears that there are more people coming back to natural trees,” said John Olsen, executive director of the Connecticut Christmas Tree Growers Association. “I’ve run into several people who tell me they’ve gone back to natural trees because they miss the fragrance.”

Senior citizens often will look for a real tree, reporting that children and grandchildren expected home for the holidays look forward to the real thing, said Mr Olsen, who sells about 400 trees a year at his six-acre tree farm in Voluntown.

There should be plenty to go around this year. The number of tree growers in Connecticut has increased over the past few years, Mr Olsen said.

“Because of the plentiful rains we had this year, the trees seem to be in good condition,” Mr Olsen said.

The Christmas tree-buying season traditionally kicks off this weekend, and local growers are ready.

“We should have a good year,” said Paul Ganim of Ganim’s Christmas Tree Farm in Easton. “We’ve got a good stock.”

There were also crowds Friday at Jones Family Farms in Shelton. Terry Jones said he expects to sell about 10,000 trees this year from his several hundred acres.

“I think people are longing for the experience of getting out and getting back to nature, connecting with their roots,” he said. “And they get tired of their plastic trees.”

But real trees aren’t for everyone.

Rhonda Evans of West Haven said she enjoys the scent of a fresh tree, but not enough to deal with falling needles and the bother of tying a tree to the trunk of her car to get it home.

“We always had a fresh tree when I was growing up, but now, with the kids and the dogs, it’s too much for me to handle,” she said. “But when the kids get older, they might override me and then I’ll get one.”

But for Theresa Miklus of Shelton, a Christmas tree has to be a fresh tree.

“We always had a real tree, for 30 years at least,” Ms Miklus said. “I like a fresh tree. It smells nice and I think it’s more festive.”