Many turn to real Christmas trees as bright spot amid virus

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Christmas tree growers who have faced increased interest in artificial trees in recent years say demand for real, fresh-cut evergreens is strong this season.

Wholesale growers and small farms alike say customers are showing up earlier than normal and there are more of them.

More Americans are staying home for the holidays amid coronavirus restrictions and want a new — or renewed — tradition to end a dreary year on a happier note.

Plus, the Christmas Tree Promotion Board says fresh-cut trees are largely displayed outside, where there’s a lower risk of viral spread

Ani Sirois, a respiratory nurse, has spent months caring for coronavirus patients at a Portland, Oregon, hospital, and she’s only getting busier as infections — and hospitalizations — surge before the holidays.

But on a recent sunny day, COVID-19 seemed far away as she, her husband and their 2-year-old daughter roamed a Christmas tree farm in search of the perfect evergreen for a holiday season unlike any other. The family was tree-shopping nearly a week before Thanksgiving and, for the first time, they were picking their own tree instead of buying a pre-cut one.

“It’s nice to have home be a separate safe space away from the hospital, and whether we can have a gathering with family or not, I know we’ll have our own little tree with the purple lights, and that’ll be something small to look forward to,” she said.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-coronavirus-pandemic-thanksgiving-holidays-oregon-dff472dcee1b479fca9a4237cb0e4c8b