Now On Sale In Prague, Eco-Friendly Christmas Trees with an Afterlife

The forestry department of the city of Prague (Lesy hl. m. Prahy) has launched a special sale of potted Christmas firs, allowing Praguers the opportunity to choose a tree that will flourish well beyond the festive season.

A total of 250 firs have gone on sale, sturdy conifers that are intended for planting in a home garden or surrounding forest.

The organization says that it hopes the sale of potted Christmas trees will help avoid “the sad fate awaiting most Christmas trees which typically end up in dumpsters or landfills.”

Trees have been sourced from forest nurseries in Stara Boleslav. With proper care (slow heat acclimatization, potting, and provision of humidity) the trees should be able to spruce up even the most overheated Prague apartment through the holidays.

“Because they are commonly grown for planting in the landscape, these conifers should eventually manage a successful move to the garden or the woods,” says Petra Fišerová, spokesperson for the forestry management department.

Those city dwellers who do not have a garden, can “free” their tree later next year during a public planting event due to take place at Kunratice forest on Saturday, April 7, 2018.

The price of a 50-cm tree is 100 CZK. In addition to the tree, buyers will receive detailed instructions on how to care for their fir.

The silver fir was once the most abundant conifer during the 20th century but has since practically disappeared from Czech forests due to illegal farming of forests, landdevelopment, and industrial logging.

Lesy hl. m. Prague will also be selling classic cut Christmas trees that have been intentionally culled for the purpose of thinning the forests.