How to make your Christmas tree last

Science-based tips to ensure your Christmas tree lasts a long time

By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson

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

Luckily, Christmas trees are fairly easy to care for during their indoor Christmas outing. “We basically treat the trees like a cut flower,” 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 — regular tap water is all it needs, although Whitehill admits That he encourages people to give them tree “fresh, cold water, just because it sounds refreshing to the tree.” (It makes botanical sense to keep a Christmas tree well watered, but also extremely pragmatic, considering that Christmas trees caused an average of 155 house fires per year in the United States between 2018 and 2022. These fires are often serious due to the flammability of a dried tree.)

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Christmas trees are especially thirsty when they first come into the house and are still getting used to no longer having roots in the ground. “On the first or second day, he drinks several liters of water,” says Whitehill. From then on, the appetite will decrease, he says. “At some point, you won’t have to water as much.” Luckily, a black-fingered Christmas tree dealer just needs to be careful about keeping an eye on the water level in the tree stand: Just top it off, and the tree will take care of itself, says Whitehill .

A quick step before installing your tree can also help your tree thrive: cut off the bottom half of the trunk. “When you get a tree, you want to make sure you have a fresh cut,” Whitehill says. “This will, so to speak, open up the vascular system,” which are the pipes that transport water, sugars and nutrients throughout a tree. This allows the tree to absorb more water.

Another small measure that can keep your tree in good condition, says Whitehill, is to keep it in a relatively cool part of your home, as warm temperatures can cause the tree to dry out and lose its aromatic compounds more quickly. (For this reason, the stereotypical spot next to the fireplace is usually not the best choice, fire hazard aside.)

Unfortunately, if the most common annoyance with Christmas trees is that they drop needles, there is no specific care approach that can help, says Whitehill. How well a tree hangs on its needles usually depends on the species – Christmas trees can come from a range of conifer species – and individual genetics. For example, Fraser firs tend to hold their needles well, while many pines shed their leaves more quickly.

But that’s no reason to focus too much on the type of tree you have, says Whitehill — especially because the type of Christmas tree is often unlabeled or mislabeled. (It can also be difficult to properly identify, he says, although he encourages the curious to try.) In his expert opinion, an individual’s connection to a breeding tree is far more important than its species. “As long as you like the tree,” says Whitehill. “Every tree needs love.”