22 NORTH BAY WOMAN F A L L | W I N T E R 2 0 2 1
Living Trees
By PJ Bremier
C
an't decide between
a traditional cut
Christmas tree or
an artificial one this
year? How about
choosing the best of
both worlds?
Living potted holiday trees are
easy to set up — and move around
— indoors and out, and bring
verdant cheer, fresh fragrance and
decorating options throughout the
season and beyond.
Chris Untermann, owner of San
Rafael's longtime family-owned
West End Nursery, is a fan of living
Christmas trees.
His nursery sells Oregon-raised
trees that suit our climate such
as Nordmann Fir and a variety of
spruces — Colorado, Baby Blue,
Dwarf Alberta, Black Hills and
Norway.
"Why cut down a perfectly good
tree," he asks. Besides the waste,
the dried needles can present a fire
hazard, he adds.
And, although artificial trees can be
reused, ultimately, he says, they
"will just end up in the landfill."
Shelly Huelsman, senior marketing
manager for SummerWinds Nurs-
ery in Novato, agrees. Her store
will have a good selection of living
Christmas trees, too.
"Overall, living trees are better for
the environment," she says. "When
Eco-friendly poed options can work inside or out for your holidays
Above: Urban Tree Farm in Fulton has living Christmas trees in many sizes of spruce, redwood, fir, cedar, pines and cypress that can be
brought inside for the holidays. Below: It's a family affair finding the perfect tree. – Photos courtesy Urban Tree Farm, istock/Getty images
