TWIN FALLS, Idaho – Real or fake?

We’re not talking about paper or plastic grocery bags, but Christmas trees, an enduring symbol of the holiday season.

And if you don’t have yours up yet, it’s either time to crawl into your attic and pull out the dusty box containing the artificial tree or drive to a local tree lot and find a leftover before the lot closes down for the season. Or, travel to the hills and cut your own, provided you purchase a permit first.

After all, don’t you want a tree-mendous holiday?

But what kind of tree do you pine for, and what are the considerations? Do plastic trees bring toxic fumes into your home? Do real trees elevate allergies? And an outlying concern, what about creatures that might lurk in the branches – a tiny owl was found inside the New York City Rockefeller Center tree in 2020.

Then there is the cost. Is it worth spending $60 for the smell, look and texture of a real tree?

Certainly, said Logan Lloyd of Lloyd’s Family Christmas Trees. The business has been selling Christmas trees in Magic Valley since 1953 and has a location on Pole Line Road in Twin Falls.

“As a society, we are tired of fake things,” Lloyd said.

Although news reports show increasing numbers of people purchasing artificial trees, they just aren’t the same, he said.

Besides, many families are deeply rooted in a tradition to pick out a new tree every year, he pointed out.

Lloyd is expecting real trees to make a comeback. Sales have been down the last couple of years, he said, and there has been a shortage of taller trees. He had only a handful of 8-footers this year and they sold out. His lot, next to Premier AutoGroup, will be open through Friday.

Ridley’s in Jerome branched out this year and sold real trees. An employee told the Times-News that the store ordered about 30 trees and sold out Tuesday, with the exception of what sounds like the Charlie Brown tree of the bunch.

“It’s kind of a sad-looking guy,” the employee said Wednesday morning, not knowing if the store would sell it at a discount. The other trees sold for $60 each.

But, speaking of the beloved 1965 “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” we all know how that story turned out. Put on some ornaments and twinkling lights, add some love, and even the most sickly tree can turn into a thing of beauty.

Some people still like the ease of artificial trees. The last time Rachel Lentfer Vazquez of Filer had a real tree, water spilled and needles made a mess, she said. She went back to her artificial tree the next year.

Those wanting some adventure can buy a $10 permit and cut their own tree in the Sawtooth National Forest.

“We go as a family and cut down a 13-foot tree every year. We have a blast.” Jodi Matlock of Twin Falls said. “We go sledding, bring hot cocoa and make great memories.”

But not all of her trees are real.

“We do also have a few fake ones we put up,” Matlock said, “but the real one is a must.”

And permits are only $10, she said. But then someone needled her after her social media post, mentioning the cost of gas.

Jessica Schick, with the National Forest Service, said buying permits is popular, and one vendor sold 500 permits during a single weekend.

Just follow the rules on the tags, Schick advises. That means paying attention to the maps of proper cutting locations and no cutting trees at campgrounds, administrative sites, ski areas, summer home sites and organization camps.

Revenue from permit sales goes toward combating invasive species and weeds.

And cutting a few small trees can improve forest health, Schick said.

“By cutting down small-diameter trees in designated areas within permit guidelines, permit holders are helping the Forest Service thin densely populated stands of trees,” she said. “This allows other trees to grow larger and opens areas that provide food for wildlife.”

The permits are good through Dec. 31. But if you cut a tree after Christmas, don’t expect it to last until the next holiday season. You might have a bit of needle problem.