Talk:Christmas tree

However, when done improperly, the combination of root loss caused by digging, and the indoor environment of high temperature and low humidity is very detrimental to the tree's health; additionally, the warmth of an indoor climate will bring the tree out of its natural winter dormancy, leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. Often Christmas trees are a large attraction for living animals, including mice and spiders. Thus, the survival rate of these trees is low.^[1] When done properly, replanting provides higher survival rates.^[2]

The first source describes how an indoor environment can be harmful to the trees, but I don't see anything about the overall survival rate being low. It also doesn't say anything about mice and spiders (and I'm not sure how the presence of spiders would affect the survival of the trees). The second link is talking about how to grow trees commercially, not about how to look after them or keep them indoors after purchase. It does mention problems caused by "rodents and insects", but that is more about how damage to the trees can affect their appearance and hence their commercial value, not about things that can kill them after purchase. This section needs rewriting, or at least better sources. (The overall survival rate being low sounds plausible, but needs an actual source. The mention of mice and spiders is probably irrelevant and I think should be removed). Iapetus (talk) 10:54, 17 December 2025 (UTC) Iapetus (talk) 10:54, 17 December 2025 (UTC)

@Zdelm: I’ve reverted your claim that President Franklin Pierce put up the first White House Christmas tree in 1856, restoring the original version indicating that the first Christmas tree at the White House was under President Benjamin Harrison.

The two sources you provided were user-generated blog posts, which are generally not acceptable WP:UGC. The third source, while a newspaper article, did not cite any verifiable origins for the claim and appears to rely on the same unsourced material.

The information about President Harrison’s 1889 Christmas tree is supported by official documentation from the White House and I have added an additional citation from the White House Historical Association as well as The Library of Congress. Myotus (talk) 18:49, 19 December 2025 (UTC)

👍🏼 Zdelm (talk) 16:37, 21 December 2025 (UTC)