Christmas Crush: Balsam Hill

I am not an artificial tree girl. I’m just not. I spent much of my childhood in Oregon (land of the fairytale Douglas Fir) and now live in Colorado, where we prefer to get a permit and cut our own Christmas trees down in the forest, thankyouverymuch—helping the Forest Service by removing trees they’d have to thin anyway for fire prevention. And yet…sometimes, a faux tree is the move. They never fade, never drop needles (well, rarely) and, perk of all perks, don’t beg for water thrice a day. Who among us needs something else added to our to-do list at Christmas? So when I decided to include one in our home along with the freshly cut variety for my own sanity, I went straight to the source of the best faux trees around: Balsam Hill.  If you’re wondering: are Balsam Hill trees worth it? The short answer is: yes, darling.

Balsam Hill is renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship and impeccable attention to detail—no wonder it’s the ne plus ultra of artificial Christmas trees, no axe or schlepping through the snow necessary. Here’s why I love them.

Are Balsam Hill Trees Worth It?

Unmatched Realism

  • Balsam Hill's commitment to replicating the eye candy you’d sooner find on a woodsy walk through an alpine forest is truly unparalleled. Each branch, needle, and delicate tip is designed to echo the textures and hues of real trees. From far away, I can’t quite tell that our own Balsam Hill tree is a fake…even though I bought it ! I can’t say the same for the (quite frankly) SAD options I see for sale elsewhere. Tear.

Options Galore

Stunning Lighting

  • It is the Year of our Lord 2023, and we still….STILL…have not solved the Christmas Light Problem. They’re irksome to arrange and truly crazy-making to untangle and store. The only reasonable solution? A pre-lit tree. Balsam Hill takes the hassle out with their trademark system—you just stack pre-wired tree sections together along the trunk, fluff, push a button, and VOILA….a tree Clark Griswold would kill for! It takes me, like, two minutes to put ours together, giving me more time to do what I actually enjoy (decorate and eat all the things.)

Does it smell like a freshly cut tree? Nope. Can I add that scent organically with a few sprigs from our garden? Yup. So if you’re wondering if Balsam Hill trees are worth it, the answer is, unequivocally….indeed. Now go order your own while they’re on sale, bunny rabbit !



Kathryn O'Shea-Evans