7 Real Christmas Tree Myths We Hear Every Year (And the Honest Truth)

After five seasons of delivering real Christmas trees around Sydney, I've heard every reason under the sun for not getting one. Some are fair. Most are myths. Here are the seven I hear the most, and the honest truth about each.

Myth 1: "They're a fire hazard"

A dry, neglected tree can burn. So can a lot of things in your house. A fresh, well-watered tree is surprisingly hard to set alight, because it's full of moisture. The real risks are dodgy lights, heaters and candles placed too close. Keep the stand topped up, use LED lights and switch them off at night, and you're in good shape.

Myth 2: "There'll be needles everywhere"

Some needles will drop. It's a living thing. But a fresh-cut, well-watered tree holds onto its needles far better than an old one that's been sitting in a car park. When we set your tree up, we tidy up the loose needles before we leave. After that, a quick vacuum once a week is usually all it takes.

Myth 3: "It'll be brown in a week in this heat"

A properly fresh pine lasts four to five weeks indoors, even through a Sydney summer, as long as it's kept in water and out of direct sun. We wrote a whole guide on keeping it green; the short version is to never let the stand run dry.

Myth 4: "I'll be bringing bugs into the house"

Every tree is hand-picked, and we give them a good shake and look-over before they come inside. Could the odd hitchhiker slip through? It's nature, so we won't pretend it's impossible. But it's rare, and they're harmless.

Myth 5: "Cutting down trees is bad for the environment"

Christmas trees are grown as a crop on farms, just like any other. For every tree that's cut, more are planted. While they grow, they take in carbon and give back oxygen. When Christmas is over, a real tree can be chipped into mulch. A plastic tree, on the other hand, is made from oil-based PVC, usually shipped from overseas, and ends up in landfill.

Myth 6: "It's way too much hassle"

It used to be. You'd have to borrow a ute, drive out to a lot, wrestle a tree onto the roof and get pine sap all through your car. Now you pick your size and delivery day online, and we bring it inside, set it in your stand and tidy up. It's honestly easier than getting the fake one down from the garage.

Myth 7: "A fake tree is cheaper"

Only if you keep it for a very long time. Good artificial trees aren't cheap, and the UK's Carbon Trust found you'd need to reuse one for at least 10 Christmases before it beats a real tree on carbon. We broke down the full cost in our real vs fake article.

The one thing that isn't a myth

Walking into a house that smells like fresh pine on a December morning. There's nothing like it, and no plastic tree will ever give you that.

See our trees and pick your delivery day.