A living holiday tree needs some extra care, but it’s worth it to ensure it will be around for years to come, supporting healthy ecosystems in our community!
- Your tree will be happiest outdoors. Consider keeping it on a deck or porch and decorate with natural elements such as stringed cranberries, suet seed balls, and pine cones dipped in melted suet and seeds. This will keep your tree and the birds happy during the holidays!
If you prefer to bring your tree inside, follow these tips to keep it as healthy as possible for future planting.
- Leave the tree outside or in a cold garage until you are ready to decorate it, keeping in mind that the living tree can stay inside only for about 7-10 days. If it remains indoors or too warm for longer, it may break dormancy or start growing and it will then suffer damage when placed back outdoors in the cold. You might consider placing the tree pot on a rolling cart or dolly and moving it outside overnight for the holiday season or create a new family tradition by bringing it inside and decorating on Christmas Eve or another special day.
- Before bringing your tree inside, water it thoroughly until water drains from the bottom.
- Place the tree in the saucer provided to protect your floor. Check the soil for moisture every other day. If the soil feels dry about an inch below the surface, water your tree lightly just until you see water in the saucer.
- You can also place gravel on the bottom of the plastic saucer and fill with water to keep the tree healthy and hydrated. The potted tree will draw water from the saucer. Make sure to replenish with water daily.
- Keep the room as cool as possible and don’t place your tree near heating vents, fireplaces, or other sources of heat. Use only LED lights: Traditional incandescent lights generate too much heat.
- To avoid shocking the tree, do not remove the tree directly from a warm house out into freezing temperatures. Instead, move to a sheltered area first for several days.
After the holidays, you can plant your tree as you see fit or bring it back to the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust’s native plant nursery at Lake Sammamish State Park (Google Maps). We’ll care for it until spring when it becomes part of a habitat restoration project. You’ll even receive an invitation to help plant the tree you adopted!
Return your tree on one of the following days:
- Saturday, January 9 between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Saturday, January 16 between 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Thank you for your support of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park!
