WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Alternatives to the Christmas tree

If you want to have an alternative to the traditional "Christmas tree", and you want something small to fit on a tabletop, or you want something in addition to the Christmas tree you already have, or even something as a gift, there are come cool options.

First of all, there is the Norfolk Island Pine. Many people know this is a great house plant, but you can also decorate it really nicely with ornaments for the holidays. It grows really well indoors, just keep it out of a drafty spot. However, if one of these branches dies back, they don't regrow, so make sure you really keep it watered, keep it cool, but don't let it get blasted by any really cold air. It will grow tall, but slowly, so you might move it outside at some point in the summer.

For something smaller, there are rosemary plants that you can buy and shape into little Christmas trees. They will be keep growing and growing and you can trim and shape it using the trimmings in cooking. They need lots of light and some water to survive the winter indoors.

If you want something really unusual, there's the pomegranate! This is a dwarf version of the original pomegranate. It only gets about 4 or 5 feet tall in a pot. You can grow it as a house plant and it will flower and form little fruits, too. It's not hardy outdoors in winter here so you'll move it out in the summer and in in the winter. Give it a lot of light so it doesn't get leggy indoors and don't over water it.

Finally, there's this evergreen Monterrey Cypress tree called 'Goldcrest'. It's got a nice little gold tinge to the needles and actually smells like lemons when you rub it. It loves water, so keep it moist. It's not hardy outside in the winter here, so you have to bring it inside, but you can actually keep it, let it grow in the pot and eventually it can turn into your big Christmas tree down the road someday.

By Charlie Nardozzi