Artificial Christmas tree

An example of an antique feather Christmas tree

Feather Christmas trees, originally of German origin, became popular in the United States as well. Feather trees were initially made of green-dyed goose feathers which were attached to wire branches.[4] These wire branches were then wrapped around a central dowel which acted as the trunk[4] Feather Christmas trees ranged widely in size, from a small 5-centimeter (2-inch) tree to a large 2.5-meter (98-inch) tree sold in department stores during the 1920s.[5] Often, the tree branches were tipped with artificial red berries which acted as candle holders.[4] The branches were widely spaced to keep the candles from starting a fire, which allowed ample space for ornamentation.[4] Other benefits touted for feather trees included the elimination of a trip to the tree lot and the lack of shed needles.[4]

In 1930 a British-based Addis Housewares Company created the first artificial Christmas tree made from brush bristles.[7] The trees were made from the same animal-hair bristles used in toilet brushes, save they were dyed green.[2]

An aluminum Christmas tree

A PVC Christmas tree decorated with fairy lights and baubles

Aluminum trees were manufactured in the United States, first in Chicago in 1958,[8] and later in Manitowoc, Wisconsin where the majority of the trees were produced.[9] Aluminum trees were manufactured into the 1970s,[8] and had their height of popularity from their inception until about 1965.[10][11] That year A Charlie Brown Christmas aired for the first time, and its negative portrayal of aluminum Christmas trees is credited for a subsequent decline in sales.[8]

Most artificial Christmas trees are made from PVC plastic. PVC trees are fire-retardant but not fire-resistant.[2] Many of these trees are made in China; from January to August 2005 $69 million worth of artificial trees from China entered the United States.[12]

The prelit tree has become increasingly popular in the United States and Germany as well, due to added ease of not having to string one's own lights. Types of lights popular today include incandescent lights (also referred to as "mini lights") and LED lights (where each bulb has its own socket, preventing the whole string from going out should one bulb burn out).[13][14] Prelit trees are subject to the mandatory regulations for the safety standards of electrical products and have to meet safety standards approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory such as UL (Underwriters Labs), CSA (Canadian Standards Association), ETL (Intertek), GS, BS and RoHS.[15] Artificial Christmas trees may be "frosted" or "glittered" and designed for outdoor uses with UV additives.[16] Plastic trees can come in a variety of different colors,[2] and one type came with built-in speakers and an MP3 player.[17]

Companies such as Mountain King, Barcana and the National Tree Company have marketed increasingly realistic PVC trees made to closely resemble Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine or other common types of Christmas trees.[4] During the 1990s trees not only began to appear more realistic but some also smelled more realistic.[4] Many of these more modern models come with pre-strung lights and hinged branches which simply had to be snapped into position.[4] More recently, companies such as Balsam Hill have begun to use (PE) plastic molded from natural tree branches in an effort to create more realistic artificial Christmas trees.[18][19]

A stand-alone upside down Christmas tree

Trends in artificial tree consumption have constantly evolved and a number of designer and other types of artificial Christmas trees have appeared on the market. Fiber optic trees come in two major varieties, one resembles a traditional Christmas tree.[17] The other type of fiber optic Christmas tree is one where the entire tree is made of wispy fiber optic cable, a tree composed entirely of light.[17] David Gutshall, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, received a patent for the latter type of fiber optic tree in 1998.[20]

One Dallas-based company offers "holographic mylar" trees in many hues.[2] Tree-shaped objects made from such materials as cardboard,[21] glass,[22] ceramic or other materials can be found in use as tabletop decorations. Upside-down artificial Christmas trees were originally introduced as a marketing gimmick; they allowed consumers to get closer to ornaments for sale in retail stores as well as opened up floor space for more products.[23] There were three varieties of upside-down trees, those bolted to the ceiling, stand alone trees with a base, and half-trees bolted to walls.[24]

The debate about the environmental impact of artificial trees is ongoing. Generally, natural tree growers contend that artificial trees are more environmentally harmful than their natural counterpart.[32] On the other side of the debate, trade groups such as the American Christmas Tree Association, continue to refute that artificial trees are more harmful to the environment and maintain that the PVC used in Christmas trees has excellent recyclable properties.[33] One researcher at Kansas State University called the idea that artificial trees are eco-friendly an "urban myth".[34]

In the past, lead was often used as a stabilizer in PVC, but it is now prohibited by Chinese laws. Most PVC materials for making artificial Christmas trees are now using tin as a stabilizer. PVC was used in some of the 2007 recalled Chinese toys.[35] A 2004 study found that while in general artificial trees pose little health risk from lead contamination, there do exist "worst-case scenarios" where major health risks to young children are present.[36] The lead author of the 2004 study, Dr. Richard Maas, noted in 2005: "We found that if we leave one of these trees standing for a week, and we wipe under the tree we'll find large amounts of lead dust in many cases under the tree".[37]

In 2007, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) asked the Consumer Products Safety Commission to investigate lead levels in Chinese imported artificial trees.[35] Lead-free artificial Christmas trees do exist; for example, one U.S.-based company uses barium instead of lead as a stabilizer in its PVC trees.[35] A 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report found that as the PVC in artificial Christmas trees aged it began to degrade.[38] The report determined that of the 50 million artificial trees in the United States approximately 20 million were 9 or more years old, the point where dangerous lead contamination levels are reached.[38]