The Ultimate Guide to Non-Toxic Christmas Trees (Is Real or Fake Best?)

When you’re decorating and enjoying your Christmas tree, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your Christmas tree is making you sick. Sadly, it’s a thing, and it turns out that finding a truly non-toxic Christmas tree is more complicated than you think.

It’s just not as simple as “real trees are best” or “fake trees are bad.” There are pros and cons to both, but knowledge is power and after reading this post you’ll be able to make the best choice for you and your family and also to make whatever tree you have safer.

Growing up, we never had a real Christmas tree in our home, My mom had a severe allergy to real trees, so that option was out. I always dreamed of going to a Christmas tree farm to pick out the perfect tree, but of course we never did.

When visiting friend’s houses that had real trees, I noticed that they bothered me as well, so to this day, I’ve never had a real tree in my home.

Because fake trees didn’t make me feel bad, I thought they were a good healthy choice for me. Sadly, that likely wasn’t the case. Though our Christmas tree wasn’t making me sneeze, there were likely other toxic issues to be concerned about.

Is a Live Tree the Best Non-Toxic Christmas Tree Choice?

You might think that a real tree is the best natural, clean and healthy living way to go. I mean, natural is always the way to go, right?

Not necessarily. There are potential and very real toxins even in the most pristine of Christmas tree.

Pesticides and Herbicides

Unless you’re buying an organic Christmas tree, a live tree will most certainly have pesticide and herbicide residue on it. Christmas trees are known to be sprayed with glyphosate and bifentrhin plus multiple other chemicals. Glyphosate is typically thought of as being a problem with wheat, but Christmas trees are victims of this toxic spray as well. 

Some of these pesticides even are contaminated with PFAS, a “forever chemical” that’s known for its long term detrimental effects on humans and the environment (source).

Mold

Live Christmas trees can harbor mold and as a result, mycotoxins. Christmas trees are typically harvested weeks before they’re sold, and sit in containers of water to keep them alive, leading to mold growth.

Studies have shown that the longer the tree is in the home, the more mold spores there are and that, in fact, they start to multiply quickly after less than a week (source). 

Dust

There are toxins in rainwater and in the air we breathe, so depending on where your tree grew, it could have all kinds of residue on it from rain water, car exhaust, and more.

Furthermore, dust is made up of particles of all sorts of things including human skin, hair, clothing particles, and more. These things are food for mold, so if you have dust, you also have mold.

In addition, dust mites can cause allergies too. A not so fun fact is that it’s the dust mite feces (I know, it’s gross) that people are allergic to, not the mites themselves. 

Terpenes

While the American College of Allergy and Immunology says that allergies to Christmas trees are rare (source), some people are sensitive or allergic to the terpenes in trees. These can cause a reaction when the tree is smelled or touched. 

How to Reduce Toxic Exposure from a Real Christmas Tree

• Buy an Organic Tree
• Spray your tree with water before bringing it inside (letting it dry as much as possible first). This will only work in a climate that isn’t very cold, unless there’s a sheltered place for drying. Some tree farms offer washing services, which is a great help.
• Use an Air Purifier: Of course you should have an air purifier at all times, but you definitely want one when you have a life tree in your home. Side note, I am an Austin Air dealer. If you’d like a great discount on one of these purifiers, just comment below or email me at adrienne at wholenewmom dot com.
• Clean Your Home: vacuum and dust often when you have a live Christmas tree in your home.
• Limit the time your tree is in your house by buying your tree as late in the season as you can and removing the tree from your home as soon as possible. It’s been shown that mold spore count expands exponentially after the first four to five days.(source). If you’re like us, and you stretch your Christmas celebrations out, however, this won’t work well for you.
• Limit physical contact with the tree.
• Wash your hands after touching the tree.
• Spray the tree with HOCl before placing ornaments on it. HOCl is stronger than bleach and addresses mold.

Are Artificial Christmas Trees Safe?

If you’re like me, and you’re allergic to real Christmas trees, then a fake Christmas tree seems to be a great safe choice.

Not so fast.

Following are some toxins in artificial Christmas trees that you should be aware of.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Like many consumer products these days, many artificial Christmas trees are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride). One would think that PVC is benign, but it’s not and here’s why.

Toxic Gases

PVC is often treated with plasticizers to make it more flexible. The most common plasticizer is phthalates, which is an artificial fragrance. Phthalates shed or leach from the products they’re used in, either in the form of gases or dust. As endocrine disruptors, they are linked to diabetes, reproductive disorders, obesity, liver issues, thyroid issues, and more. They’ve even been linked to autism, ADHD, and cognitive issues in children (source, source, source).

Lead

PVC can also be treated with lead as a stabilizer. This was more the case in the past, but people tend to buy an artificial tree and keep it for many years, so if you have a fake tree in your home, it likely contains lead.

The lead sheds off the PVC in the form of dust that ends up on the surfaces of your home.

Lead bioaccumulates and is connected with all kinds of health problems including cardiovascular, reproductive, kidney, brain, and more. Like all toxins, lead exposure is more of a concern for children due to their smaller size and it can even cause permanent damage.

In 2001, it was estimated that about 50 million homes in the U.S. had artificial trees. While this study did conclude that exposure to lead from artificial trees is likely not that that high, in some houses, this shedding can lead to toxic exposures (source).

Flame Retardants

Although PVC is already flame retardant and many trees are now made with PVC, flame retardants are still often used on fake trees. In fact, some companies state that after 2-3 years you should consider reapplying the toxic chemicals to your tree which of course means even more exposure.

Antimony Trioxide

In addition to PVC, artificial trees are also made out of polyethylene (PE) or a combination of either PE and PVC. PE trees are more durable and realistic than PVC trees, but they’re also more expensive. 

One concern about PE trees is that the main catalyst for making those chemicals is antimony trioxide. It’s a likely carcinogen and a possible endocrine disruptor (source).

Furthermore, a lot of antimony is released into the environment when PE is made.  Antimony bioaccumulates, and air contaminated with the chemical has been linked to many health issues. In fact, antimony is called a “priority pollutant” by the United States EPA (source). 

Despite the environmental concerns, once a PE tree is in your home, it’s a much better choice than a PVC tree. The reason for that is that antimony is mainly released much more at higher temperatures (50°C (about 122°F) and above.

PFAS

It’s been said that artificial Christmas trees are sometimes sprayed with chemicals containing PFAS to make them last longer by making them more resistant to heat and light. I haven’t been able to verify this, however.

Dust

Artificial Christmas trees are often stored in attics and garages and they can harbor tons of mold and dust as a result, especially if they are stored without a container. All those needles harbor tons of dust and they’re hard to clean. Also, if the tree is stored in a warm attic in the dark, mold can really fester. 

How to Reduce Toxic Exposure from an Artificial Tree

• Buy a Less Toxic Tree: Purchasing a tree with a higher percent of PE/PET than PVC is a better choice.
• Outgas: Allow your new artificial tree to outgas outdoors before bringing it inside for the first time. For a new tree – outgas outdoors before setting up.
• Limit physical contact with the tree.
• Wash Hands: Wash your hands after decorating or otherwise touching the tree.
• Purify the Air: Use an air purifier.
• Clean Your Home: vacuum and dust often when to address any toxins that might have shed in your house.
• Get a Smaller Tree: The smaller the tree, the less toxic it will be. The trees in the above photo are 3 sizes of trees we currently have: large, small and thin, and then a small tabletop Christmas tree that was a wedding gift. That tree is about as small as it gets, but I still love it!

Where to Buy Non-toxic Artificial Christmas Trees

There are a number of trees with a combination of PVC and PE branches, with most of the mixed PVC/PE trees having at the most 65% PE. However, Balsam Hill and IKEA stand above the others by having at least some trees with more than 65% PE.

I’ll be checking with more companies in the future, but below is some information on these trees.

Of course this information can change from year to year so it’s best to reach out to make sure that the trees still meet these standards.

Balsam Hill

Balsam Hill has a variety of trees with varying amounts of PVC / PE in them. 

Their “most realistic” trees have 65 – 100% PE so that’s the way to go if you’d like a tree with the least amount of PVC.  Apparently the following trees are “completely PE”, with the exception of PVC wrap on inner, lower, top of the tree trunk for the appearance of fullness, and that part is removable.

• Frosted Alpine Balsam Fir (here’s a shorter 4.5 foot option)
• Aspen Estate Fir
• Alpine Balsam Fir
• Yukon Spruce
• Denali White
• Calistoga Ornament 
• Broadway Fiber Optics, and
• Revelstocke Fir

The company told me that their trees are coated with antimony trioxide flame retardant, but again, that shouldn’t be a concern as mentioned above. Apparently antimony trioxide isn’t flame retardant in and of itself, so I hope to follow up with the company about this. My guess is that they use a flame retardant that is enhanced by antimony trioxide.

IKEA

IKEA doesn’t have many trees to choose from, so you are more likely to get what you’d like at Balsam Hill. Also note that despite IKEA’s claims of their trees being non toxic, it’s important to read the reviews.

IKEA claims that the Vinterfint tree is made from PET, but one review states that the tree had a strange smell and that it shed a green color onto hands when it was decorated. (Note that the tree isn’t shown on their site right now, so hopefully that will be back online in the future so you can see what I’m referencing.)

IKEA does claim that they don’t use flame retardants on their trees and IKEA’s flame retardant policy states that they avoid them whenever possible.

More Sources of Christmas Tree Toxins

Ornaments

You might not think about this but your Christmas tree ornaments can be another big source of toxins. First of all, they can harbor lead, but that cardboard ornament box that you stored in your attic or garage is a a problem as well.

Cardboard is a great food source for mold. When you bring that box in your home and take the ornaments out, you’re distributing the spores into your home. Though I’m not a fan of plastic storage in general, in this case an all-plastic storage container is a much better choice.

Lights

Most Christmas tree lights have lead, but you can find some without. Of course you’ll want to check anytime you need to get new lights but here’s a list of lead-free options.

Traditional Christmas Tree Alternatives

Another option is to have an alternative to a Christmas tree like the following:

• Decorate an Outdoor Tree: We actually do this a little bit with lights and some giant ornaments either on a tree or on a large bush!
• A Different Kind of Potted Tree – having a tree that you know how it was cultivated and treated can be a lot less toxic than what you might be able to find nearby as far as live tree options go.
• Book Tree – search “book Christmas tree” online and you’ll see this interesting option! Just make sure the books aren’t moldy!
• Wooden Tree – you can find ideas for this online too.

My Final Christmas Tree Advice

Whatever you have, or whatever you chose, just know that nothing is perfect. No tree is going to be completely toxin-free, and neither is everything in your home.

Do the best you can and enjoy the Christmas season which is much more important that whatever tree you choose. With some simple precautions, you can make any Christmas tree that you have safer and every healthy step you take is a step in the right direction.

More Healthy Christmas Posts

These posts can help you have a truly healthier Holiday season.

Healthy Stocking Stuffers – skip the candy and give the gift of health this year!
Does “Xmas” Take Christ Out of Christmas? – if you’ve been concerned about saying or hearing “Xmas,” this post is for you.
Natural and Healthy Homemade Christmas Gifts – homemade gifts are the best
Healthy Christmas Cookies – Santa approved!
Gluten-free Christmas Cookies – avoiding gluten? This list of cookies is sure to make you smile.

More Research-based Posts About Healthy Living

Is there Paint Thinner In Your Cereal? – scary, but is it true?
Pesticides in Strawberries. What You Need to Know
Does Erythritol Cause Heart Disease? – includes an infographic that explains what’s likely going on with this popular low-carb sweetener
Is Stevia Safe? – rumors about infertility and DNA disruption abound. But what’s true? Find out here.

What kind of Christmas tree do you have?
Does this post make you think about making a change?