Kiwis still split on real vs a fake tree

DONNA WALSH/ Waikato Times

FAKE TAKE: Shop assistants Maree Brothers and Robyn Corcoran remove Christmas ornaments from an artificial tree at Hamilton's Christmas Heirloom Company after it was purchased by a customer.

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Real or fake.

It's an old debate among those who think Christmas is best celebrated with a Christmas tree.

Some prefer an artificial one, bought at a store, with green bandage branches and no pine needle mess to clean up.

Others will tell you that the holiday period just doesn't smell right without a two metre pine perched in the lounge corner, its branches covered in decorations passed down from generation to generation.

At Hamilton's Christmas Heirloom Shop, on Victoria St, shop assistant Robyn Corcoran believes people are split on what trees they prefer.

"A lot of people like the artificial ones, but then a lot of people can't get them because of allergies."

The store sells a range of fake trees, which range in height, "bushiness" and price (from $180 to $670).

The store's most expensive tree this holiday season was a $1200 3.6m monster with fake snow-tinged branches, though Ms Corcoran said it sold several weeks ago.

You can even buy pine needle oil ($27 a bottle) these days to replicate that pine smell.

Cambridge's Leanne Airey reckons that just doesn't cut it.

"Pine trees just smell like Christmas," she said while looking through the Hamilton store.

Mother and daughter Annette and Elline, Christmas scrooges who didn't want to give their last names, preferred the artificial ones, having only ever had them.

"The fake ones are better for my sons who've got hay fever and asthma," Elline said.

On Te Rapa's Bern Rd, Gary Tetzlaff sells the real Christmas pine trees for $25 a pop.

He said his trees, which took up to four years to reach the "Christmas" height, were selling "steady" so far this year.

Mr Tetzlaff warned anyone who wanted a real pine Christmas tree to get in fast.

"Those people who are used to having a real tree for Christmas Day generally get in pretty quick but everyone usually has different needs and wants when it comes to those things so there is quite often one for everyone."

- © Fairfax NZ News