The growing trend of swapping plastic for a living Christmas tree offers a whole new scale of eye-catching cheer - with carbon footprint reduction as a bonus. 

There’s something a little special about a live Christmas tree, it’s as though it has the ability to keep seasonal cheer going throughout the year.

They bring other, more tangible benefits too, which Bega Garden Nursery’s Judy sees as her main reason for selling them.

“It reduces your carbon footprint in a number of ways. For a start you’re not consuming something plastic that you’ll end up throwing away and replacing,” she said.

“You’re fixing carbon into the tree as it grows, and it’s a Christmas tree you’ll only need to buy once.”

She said newer varieties such as dwarf and blue spruce living trees were helping increase live tree popularity.

“They make a very nice table decoration and with fairy lights they look good because of the different scale.

“You can keep them in a pot for years, or plant them out in the yard,” she said.

Sarah Doig thought live trees were great for families with small children.

“They’re something that can grow with the children, it’s a good way to teach children about caring for plants. I think it’s a more personal Christmas tree,” she said.

“From an environmental point of view I can’t think of a downside to them, but there are some tips to help them survive.

“They are okay to be in a well-lit room for a few weeks, but it’s not a good idea to then move them straight outside into the sun. It’s best to move them into a shaded position for a while.

“It’s also a tree that you won’t want to over-water, but overall they’re pretty hardy trees,” she said.

For many families, children play a major part of Christmas and Ella Kunzli-Doig offered a child’s view of living Christmas trees. 

“They make me happy. You can look after them,  watch them grow and they also smell nice,” she said.