You should enjoy your tree without any qualms. These trees are grown for a single purpose and are both renewable and sustainable.

I would make this counterpoint for those that do feel a sense of guilt. I have a friend that has had a Christmas Tree plantation for over 40 years. Up until several years ago he had never found a WB. Now he and his employees have found 6 and are on constant lookout for any signs of new ones developing. The chances of finding a WB among 10,000 concentrated trees is far greater per acre than in a natural setting.

That's a lovely tradition they've kept. Hopefully the children will in turn will carry it on.

I like (modest) lights on specimen streetside trees or plants, some spiralled strings can look amazing in the dark.

I love it when people decorate the trees in their gardens. I don't have electricity stubbed out to where most of my conifers are, but I sometimes decorate my large Abies pinsapo 'Glauca' with plastic ornaments in silver and red. Very festive!

Love the idea of the tree lot folks looking for brooms.

Sara

Golden forms can be recognized in very early stage. There is a nursery here that grows conifer seedlings for forestry. Owner told me that he finds a white seedling among his stock in every two years or so. His production is about 3 million seedlings a year, 80% of wich is picea abies and rest pinus sylvestris. That would make chances of golden mutation 1 of 6000 000.

I asked him what he has done with these white ones and he told me they just went to trash for many years for they didnôt fill the quality reguirements .

Since his enlightement in this issue 2 years ago he started to take them aside in bigger pots but once forgot to water them so back to point zero again.

He has also started to grow christmas trees resently so maby he will also find brooms in future.

Many out there will recognize the name Hupp,growers of Christmas trees and wreath/trimming materials for three generations in NW Oregon.The numbers of seedling mutations plus bud mutations have produced a good selection of interesting forms and colors for collectors.
These run mainly to Abies procera but include Pinus peuce
and P.leucodermis.I believe Thuja plicata 'Whipcord'was a Hupp find also.I doubt that young Jason Hupp spends much time outside the family farm looking for brooms!D.