A conventional Christmas tree is my favorite holiday tradition. I love the seasonal lights, family ornaments and fabulous fir tree aroma. Through the years, my family has enjoyed balsam, Fraser and now noble firs.

The decorated Christmas tree custom appears to have begun in Germany. In the 16th century, German churches and guilds began putting up fir trees and decorating them with fruit, nuts and paper flowers. Today, we also celebrate Christmas with artificial trees because they are neat, convenient, and non-allergenic. Also, if they are used for many years, an artificial tree can be less expensive than a real tree.

From an environmental standpoint, real vs. artificial tree is an ongoing debate. Artificial trees are made of either PVC or polyethylene. PVC is a toxic material that often contains lead.

Polyethylene trees are less toxic but more expensive. Artificial trees are not recyclable and eventually end up in a landfill.

Real trees can be recycled when they are ground up for mulch or placed in contact with the ground for erosion prevention.

Don’t forget that while growing, real trees also remove carbon dioxide from and add oxygen to the air.

Traditional Christmas trees are grown as a crop, replanted after harvest and can provide good habitat for wildlife. On the other hand, heavy pesticide use on many tree farms is a big environmental negative because these chemicals kill not only the tree pests but also other insects that are a part of natural food chains. Pesticides can turn otherwise good wildlife habitat into an environmental desert. To promote the most environmentally friendly or sustainable agricultural methods, we probably should shop for trees grown without pesticides and accept ones with a less than perfect shape.

There is another kind of Christmas tree I would like to recommend. This is the tree given as a gift for Christmas. Yes, winter in Texas is the perfect time of year to plant a tree! Why not give a sturdy and long-lived native tree to friends and family this year?

Native trees can make a great new tradition to begin with your children or grandchildren. How about a special delivery tree from Santa? Old Kris Kringle can leave directions for a fun-filled “plant-the-Christmas tree” outing and to be followed with hot chocolate by a warm fire. Each month through the year, you and the kids can go out together to water the young tree. It will let you share a joyful spring miracle as you watch tiny leaves appear for the first time. Keeping vigilant and watering the young tree weekly through the hot summer months will also teach children responsibility and good stewardship behaviors.

Here are two places you can buy some great native trees for Christmas. If you want to plant a native tree that will grow slowly but eventually be big, at Boerne’s Hill Country African Violets I recommend cedar elm, lacy, chinkapin, burr and live oaks. They also have large native shrubs or small trees Texas redbud, mountain 

laurel, Possumhaw, Mexican buckeye and rough-leaf dogwood. These are excellent landscape ornamentals because of their colorful blossoms or berries.

I also talked to David Winningham, owner of Natives of Texas Nursery, which is on Highway 16 west of Kerrville and is an excellent source for the ever-popular big-tooth maple, Texas madrone, escarpment blackcherry, silktassel, evergreen and flame-leaf sumac. 

No matter what tree you choose be sure to plant it in a wide and shallow hole (think shoebox). And with the Texas madrone, follow the plant and care directions exactly. Merry Christmas tree to you and yours.