Mérida, Yucatán — Locals are increasingly favoring real Christmas trees over the artificial variety, Sipse reports.
Real trees are more colorful and leave a pleasant aroma in the air, customers say. They are also a novelty in a region that has more palms than pines.
All around the city, a variety of natural trees are for sale, priced from 800 to 1,500 pesos, depending on size. Some trees were trucked in from central Mexico, while about 5,000 are imported from the United States and Canada.
In addition to the Christmas trees, potted myrtle plants formed by artisans in Puebla into reindeer motifs are in high demand. They are decorated with lights and sometimes transplanted in gardens.
Selling live trees carries risks. No pines have been found with an infestation that endangers local trees since 2008. Today, they are often sold with badges certifying them to be disease free.
By January, collection centers will be set up across the city for residents to deposit their by-then dried up trees.
Source: Sipse
