A Christmas tree stand is an object designed to support a cut, natural or an

artificial Christmas tree An artificial Christmas tree is an artificial pine or fir tree manufactured for the specific purpose of use as a Christmas tree. The earliest artificial Christmas trees were wooden, tree-shaped pyramids or feather trees, both developed by Germans. ...

. Christmas tree stands appeared as early as 1876 and have had various designs over the years. Those stands designed for natural trees have a water-well, which, in many cases may not hold enough water to adequately supply the cut tree. Some specialty Christmas tree stands have value on the secondary antiques market.

History

Christmas tree stands have been around at least since 1876, when ''Arthur's Illustrated Home Magazine'' suggested connecting a Christmas tree stand into a stand for flowers. In that same year, Hermann Albrecht of

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received and as two of the first Christmas tree stand patents issued in the United States. In 1892, carpenter Edward Smith suggested a homemade Christmas tree stand, noting, ChristmasTreeStand1919

As Christmas is near at hand, I will tell how I made a pretty stand for a Christmas tree: I took a board 14x14 inches, and one inch thick around this I made a tiny
paling Paling is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Chris Paling (born 1956), British author of modern fiction * Wilfred Paling (1883–1971), British Labour Party politician * William Paling William Thomas Paling (28 October 1892 ...
fence — there is a post at each corner set firmly Into a 1/4-inch hole, and a gate at the middle of one side with little posts, the same as at the corner. The palings are about 1/8-inch thick, and 1/2 inch wide, and the cross pieces are just a little thicker. The best tacks I could find for tacking the palings to the cross-pieces were pins cut in two, using only the head ends. I then painted the fence white, and the board grass-green. In the center of this Is a hole into which to fasten the tree.

In 1919, an American monthly magazine

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

touted a new type of Christmas-tree stand. The stand featured a broad, cone-shaped base that included an inlet for water and the Christmas tree trunk. Water placed in the galvanized iron shell would give considerable weight to the stand to steady the tree. Once the tree trunk was inserted into the water inlet, the tree would be kept fresh and green much longer than without the water supply.

Design

Christmas tree stands designed for natural

Christmas tree A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, or an artificial tree of similar appearance, associated with the celebration of Christmas. The custom was further developed in early modern ...

s often have a water-well in them; natural trees require water so that they do not dry out.Sandbeck, Ellen. ''Organic Housekeeping: In Which the Nontoxic Avenger Shows You how to Improve Your Health and that of Your Family While You Save Time, Money, And, Perhaps Your Sanity'',
Google Books
, Simon and Schuster, 2006, p. 332, (). In fact, growers state that the secret to long-lived natural Christmas tree is a lot of water, so often they recommend a tree stand that has a large water reservoir.Keene, Cindy Atoji.
At the root of a Christmas tradition
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'', December 21, 2008, accessed December 21, 2008.

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plant pathologist Plant pathology (also phytopathology) is the scientific study of diseases in plants caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungus, fung ...

Gary Chastagner conducted research into various models of Christmas tree stands and found that just six of 22 different stands tested had adequate water capacity for Christmas trees larger than 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.Fleenor, Denny.
A Better Christmas Tree and Tree Safety Tips
", ''

'': Marketing and News Service, December 10, 2003, accessed December 21, 2008. Not all Christmas tree stands are manufactured for the specific purpose, one example would be a makeshift Christmas tree stand made from an old two-gallon (~7.5 l) bucket or can.Dudley, Joseph Iron Eye. ''Choteau Creek: A Sioux Reminiscence'',
Google Books
, University of Nebraska Press, 1998, p. 27, (). Another example of a homemade-type Christmas tree stand is a converted

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

garden urn.Garrity, Mary Carol.
Decorate Christmas tree like a pro
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via ''

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'', December 7, 2008, accessed December 21, 2008.

Types of tree stands

Christmas tree stands sometimes had a more specialized role when it came to

aluminum Christmas trees An aluminum Christmas tree is a type of artificial Christmas tree that was popular in the United States from 1958 until about the mid-1960s. As its name suggests, the tree is made of aluminum, featuring foil needles and illumination from below via ...

. The common method of illumination for these artificial Christmas trees was a floor-based "color wheel" which was placed under the tree. The color wheel featured varyingly colored segments on a clear plastic wheel, when switched on the wheel rotated and a light shone through the clear plastic casting an array of colors throughout the tree's metallic branches.A dark family secret: the artificial Christmas tree
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, accessed December 21, 2008. Sometimes this spectacle was enhanced by a rotating Christmas tree stand.Lukas, Paul.
Trees Made of Tinsel
, ''

Money Magazine ''Money'' is an American personal finance brand and website owned by Ad Practitioners LLC and formerly also a monthly magazine, first published by Time Inc. (1972–2018) and later by Meredith Corporation (2018–2019). Its articles cover the g ...

'', via CNNMoney.com December 1, 2004, accessed December 21, 2008.

Secondary value

Some Christmas tree stands were uniquely designed and have value in the secondary antiques market. One example is a 1950s decorative Christmas tree stand designed by National Outfit Manufacturers Association and made of

lithograph Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

ed tin and featuring a holiday design. A Christmas tree stand such of the lithographed

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design could fetch up to $250 on the open market.Staff.
Christmas Tree Stand: What Is It? What Is It Worth?
, Q&A-Antiques Appraisal, ''

Country Living ''Country Living'' is an American lifestyle and home magazine published by the Hearst Corporation since 1978. The monthly magazine focuses on food, home renovation, home decor, DIY and lifestyle. The magazine hosts four Country Living Fairs a ye ...

'', accessed December 21, 2008.

References

External links

*Bates, Rick.
Caring for your cut Christmas tree
, ''

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

'', Department of Entomology, accessed December 21, 2008. *Mahany, Barbara.
What to know before buying (another?) tree stand
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Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...