How long does a real Christmas tree last?
3 min read · Published
About four weeks indoors with good care, according to the RHS. But London Fire Brigade gives a shorter safety window. Here's how to plan the dates.
A cut tree should last about four weeks indoors with care, according to the RHS (RHS). Some American sources are more generous. Good Housekeeping says “five weeks or more” (Good Housekeeping). London Fire Brigade gives a shorter window: it says a real tree “will only remain relatively safe for about two weeks” before it is likely to become more flammable (London Fire Brigade).
Those figures measure different things. Four weeks is how long a tree keeps looking good. Two weeks is the fire service’s cautious safety line. Neither figure guarantees that an individual tree is safe for a set number of days. Keep it watered, check its condition and remove it when it dries out.
How long each type lasts
| Tree | How it ages indoors |
|---|---|
| Nordmann fir | The RHS describes its needles as “very slow to drop”. It is the best choice if you want a tree up from early December. |
| Fraser fir | “Good needle-holding properties” (RHS) |
| Korean fir | “Excellent needle-holding quality” (RHS) |
| Blue spruce | Holds its needles better than Norway spruce (RHS) |
| Norway spruce | “Quick to drop its needles” (RHS). Buy it later in December. |
| Pot-grown tree | No more than 12 days indoors, in a cool room (RHS) |
All of these descriptions are from the RHS (RHS).
Planning your dates
Count back from the day you want the tree down. Twelfth Night, 5 or 6 January, is the traditional date. See When should you take your Christmas tree down?
- Nordmann fir: up in the first or second weekend of December, which is about four weeks before Twelfth Night.
- Norway spruce: up in mid-December.
- Pot-grown tree: in the weekend before Christmas, which is the RHS’s ideal, and back outside before New Year.
There is more detail in When to buy a real Christmas tree.
What shortens a tree’s life
- Letting the stand run dry. This is the main cause. A dried cut surface stops the tree taking up water (NIST).
- No fresh cut on the trunk. The RHS says to saw 2.5cm off before it goes in the stand.
- Heat. Standing it next to a radiator or fire causes “excessive moisture loss and needle drop” (RHS).
Signs it’s time for the tree to go
- Needles fall from the outer branches when you brush past them, not only from the inside.
- Needles snap or crumble instead of bending.
- Branches droop, and the tree has stopped drinking even after a fresh cut.
A dry tree catches fire far more easily than a watered one. When NIST tested a watered tree and a dry one with the same flame, only the dry tree ignited (NIST). When you see these signs, take the tree down, even if it’s before Twelfth Night.