Buying a Christmas tree in Hong Kong

Reader M K has emailed Mr Tall asking:

I'm curious as to where I can find a Christmas tree in HK? The only place I've found an 8 foot Noble Fir that will deliver and include a stand, is Anglo Chinese florist on Wellington st and they want $2k, which is what I paid in Tokyo! Please tell me they can come cheaper here?

MK

Any tips for her?

X-mas tree

For the past 5 years we have used a potted tree. I think it is a Cryptomeria Japonica.

This is an example of some found on the web. Ours is much smaller and in a pot. You can find them at florists all over HK - or go to some garden centres in Sai Kung and order one for delivery.

[img]http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/Graphics/cryptomeria/crypto.jpg[/img]

We bought ours about 5 years ago. Every year we drag it down from the rooftop. Every Epiphany, we drag it back up again. It started about 4 ft tall, now it's about 6 feet tall. If we re-potted it, it would probably get bigger, but then we wouldn't be able to grapple it up and down the stairs.

It doesn't have the same great smell as a typical pine or spruce, but it's nice and you can keep using it year after year (if you have a balocony or rooftop, or a living room with decent light).

In the past I considered a Norfolk Island Pine, but thought that the branches looked too bare to be a really credible X-mas tree.

Example of a Norfolk Island Pine
[img]http://www.ext.colostate.edu/ptlk/1321f1a.jpg[/img]

But, some people may like it
.
Frankly, any green plant will do. As an undergraduate, I decorated a large Schefflera

Here's an example of a small one. [img]http://www.hort.cornell.edu/4hplants/Flowers/Images/Schefflera%204.JPG[/img]

If you plan to keep it indoors, a Ming Aralia could also be a nice addition.

Example of a Ming Aralia
[img]http://www.greenery.ca/pt/image/ming_aralia_2.jpg[/img]

Any large green plant, decorated with love, can be a great X-mas tree.