After the festive season, many families consider giving their Christmas tree a second life by planting it in their back or front garden.
While this environmentally conscious act has its benefits, unless your garden is the size of a small field, it’s important for homeowners to think carefully before planting out Christmas trees due to the damage they can cause.
As someone with plenty of experience of growing Christmas trees on my family’s Christmas tree farm in the Midlands, I explain the reasons why it might be worth a rethink before reaching for the garden tools to plant your Christmas tree in a small garden after it has been retired from its festive use indoors.
1. They can destabilise your home’s foundations One of the most significant threats posed by planting a Christmas tree near a building is root intrusion.
Christmas trees develop extensive root systems as they mature. These roots can stretch well beyond the tree’s drip line (where rainwater will naturally fall to the ground), seeking water and nutrients.
“When roots grow near a house, they can exert pressure on the foundation, potentially leading to cracks or destabilisation,” warns Geoffrey Gilbert, a family member of mine and owner of one of the UK’s largest Christmas Tree Farms, Woods Farm in Shirley . “This is especially concerning in areas with clay soil, which can shift when roots absorb moisture.”
In extreme cases, root systems can damage underground utilities, such as water or sewer lines, resulting in subsidence and costly repairs.
2. Trees can damage your home’s exterior While planting your Christmas tree may seem like a sustainable choice, conifers such as firs, pines and spruces can grow much larger than expected.
Christmas trees are amongst the plants that can damage homes as they grow faster than many other trees such as oak or ash trees with the average growing about a foot a year. Some species can reach heights of 50–100 feet and as the Christmas trees grow, their branches can spread widely, causing physical damage to a home’s exterior.
Tall trees planted too close to walls or roofs may scratch siding, break shingles, or clog gutters with fallen needles. During storms, heavy branches can break off, posing a risk to windows and other structures. Over time, these issues can lead to costly maintenance and repairs.
The Arboricultural Association warns: “Branches hanging over your roof can deposit pine needles and debris into gutters. Clogged gutters impede water flow, leading to potential water damage. The smallest of fissures may allow precipitation to leak into your home, resulting in potential water damage from your attic to your basement.”
You can buy potted Christmas trees with roots attached from most Christmas tree farms (Image credit: Future)
3. Impact on your garden and landscaping In addition to structural concerns, Christmas trees can wreak havoc on gardens. Their dense canopies can block sunlight, making it difficult for other plants to thrive.
Coniferous trees also shed needles, which can acidify the soil, potentially harming nearby flowers, shrubs and vegetables.
Moreover, their root systems, although not invasive, will still aggressively compete for water and nutrients, stunting the growth of surrounding plants and can also uproot garden paving and pathways.
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4. Christmas trees are a fire hazard Mature Christmas trees near your home may also pose fire risks as their resin-rich needles are highly flammable.
Geoffrey Gilbert, who has 50 years of experience with Christmas trees, says: “Many people forget, that as well as being a fire hazard inside homes they can also be a fire hazard outside homes too”.
To reduce the risk of fire, avoid planting Christmas trees near other trees or structures where flames could spread rapidly. This is also true if you are disposing of a Christmas tree to make sure it is not near areas where it is possible to catch fire such as fire pits.
What to do with your Christmas tree instead Just because you shouldn’t plant out your Christmas tree in your garden, doesn’t mean your tree has to be binned. Many Christmas tree farms will actually accept you returning your potted tree as a “donation” and they will plant it out in a suitable field on your behalf, ready to be someone else’s tree in the future.
Geoffrey Gilbert adds that this practice of recycling Christmas trees is becoming “increasingly common” and puts the tree back in the hands of those capable of handling them.
He adds that at his farm, Woods Farm in Shirley , he accepts Christmas tree donations as long as they are still alive and will thrive being planted out – so make sure you look after your tree this festive period if you hope for it to live on post-December.
If you’re wondering how Christmas trees are prepared for homes, take a look at this article explaining the tools I use for felling and prepping Christmas trees on our family farm.
