How to make your Christmas tree last

Science-based tips to make your Christmas tree last

By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson

Ah, December, the month when many people bring a small – or not so small – piece of nature inside in the form of a Christmas tree. But what kind of care does a felled tree need to look and smell its best during the (supposedly) most festive weeks of the year?

Fortunately, Christmas trees are fairly low maintenance during their holiday entry indoors. “We treat the trees like a cut flower, basically,” says Justin Whitehill, a plant pathologist who researches Christmas trees full-time at North Carolina State University. “You don’t have to complicate it.”

To that end, he says, skip the additives people might try to sell you, and ignore any rumors you hear about giving your tree sugar water or aspirin—plain tap water is all it needs, though Whitehill admits encouraging people to give their tree “fresh, cold water just because it sounds refreshing to the tree.” (Keeping a Christmas tree well-watered is botanically wise, but also extremely pragmatic, as holiday trees caused an average of 155 home fires per year in the United States between 2018 and 2022. These fires are often severe due to the flammability of a dried tree.)

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Christmas trees are especially thirsty when they first come inside and are still getting used to no longer having roots in the ground. “The first day or two it will drink several gallons of water,” says Whitehill. From there, its appetite will wane, he says. “Eventually, you don’t need to water it as much.” Fortunately, a black-thumb Christmas tree tender only has to keep an eye on the water level in the tree’s growth: Just keep it filled and the tree will take care of itself, says Whitehill.

A quick step before you install your tree can also help it thrive: cut off the bottom half inch or inch of the trunk. “When you get a tree, you want to make sure you have a fresh cut,” says Whitehill. “It’s going to open up the vascular system,” which are the tubes that move water, sugars and nutrients throughout a tree. It helps the tree absorb more of the water it receives.

Another small measure that can keep your wood in good condition is to keep it in a relatively cool part of your home, says Whitehill, because hot temperatures can cause the wood to dry out and lose its aromatic compounds more quickly. (This is why the stereotypical spot next to the fireplace is usually not the best choice, aside from the fire risk.)

Unfortunately, if your most common pet peeve around Christmas trees is that they drop needles, there’s no specific care approach that can help, says Whitehill. How well a tree hangs on its needles tends to vary by species — Christmas trees can come from a variety of conifer species — and individual genetics. For example, Fraser firs tend to hang well on their needles, whereas many pines lose their leaves more quickly.

But that’s not a reason to get too fixated on what species your tree might be, says Whitehill—especially since the species of a Christmas tree is often unlabeled or mislabeled. (It can also be difficult to identify correctly, he says, although he encourages the curious to try). In his expert opinion, an individual’s connection with a cultivated tree is far more important than its species. “As long as you like the wood,” says Whitehill. “Every tree needs love.”