Is it normal for Christmas trees to lose needles?

QUESTION: Is it normal for Christmas trees to lose needles? Mine seems to be dropping quite a few. – Randall T

ANSWER: It is normal for any cut tree to lose its needles a bit, but a freshly cut live Christmas tree should last for four to six weeks indoors and stay fresh, maintaining most of its needles. To get the best chance that your tree holds its needles through Christmas, check the trees for freshness before you make a purchase.

If you gently pull one of the tree’s branches through your hand, a freshly cut tree will only lose a few needles if it loses any at all. Losing more than a few needles indicates that the tree was cut a while ago and hasn’t been provided with a water supply when it was needed, so you should choose a different one.

Once you have your tree, the best way to make sure it holds onto its needles is to provide the tree with plenty of tap water in the receptacle in the Christmas tree stand. Also keep the tree away from sources of heat like space heaters, fireplaces, or especially large Christmas lights, which can contribute to drying the tree out. A dried-out Christmas tree poses a fire hazard.