CZ-Tip - Naughty or Nice? Christmas Trees for Coastal Erosion Control

Find ways to get to, protect, and enjoy the coast with tips from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM).

Thinking about using your Christmas tree to help shore up your shoreline? Though past guidance promoted placing spent trees on beaches and dunes to catch sand, local experience has shown it might just do more harm than good. To help unwrap the history of this complicated guidance and search for better solutions, this tip explores the once popular practice, the potential for increased erosion and harm to wildlife and coastal resources, and alternatives for Christmas tree disposal and dune stabilization.

Table of Contents

The Origin of Using Christmas Trees for Erosion Control and Coastal Restoration

In Massachusetts, Christmas trees were once thought to be a low-cost option for effectively capturing wind-blown sediments to rebuild dunes—particularly where dunes had been washed over by waves, blown out by wind, or eroded in other ways. The use of Christmas trees was also considered an effective solution for managing wind-blown sand in and around built facilities, structures, and access routes on beaches and dunes. The history of using Christmas trees for erosion control in the Bay State dates back to the 1960s.1 Typically, trees were placed in small groupings, rows, or arrays—with variations in their alignment and methods of securing them in place—and often used in combination with sand fencing. In many cases, this method worked. The dense needles, which typically stay on the trees through the year, were able to help slow and trap sand, and in some areas (such as on steep slopes), the trees proved to be more effective at holding and building up sand than sand fencing alone. Because of this type of success, many states (and other countries) consider the use of Christmas trees a win-win—a low-cost method for disposing of discarded Christmas trees while helping to stabilize dunes along the shore.2 Massachusetts, however, has taken a step back from using discarded trees due to concerns about their potential for harm.

The use of Christmas trees (or any coastal stabilization practice) on coastal banks, dunes, or beaches requires approval by the local Conservation Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection under the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act. These projects may also warrant a review by the Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife if located in an area mapped as Priority Habitat.

Potential for Harm

Through the decades, the use of Christmas trees for erosion control and restoration was put to the test. Though some short-term benefits were gained, this practice is now generally discouraged in Massachusetts due to the challenges of proper siting and design—including distance to water, alignment of trees, and methods of securing trees—along with the potential for harm. For information on the potential impacts, see the following topic areas: coastal sediment resources, nesting shorebirds, coastal plants, and exposed trees.

Coastal Sediment Resources - Although erosion of coastal banks, dunes, and beaches is a natural occurrence, activities that exacerbate erosion or destabilize sediments should be avoided. While Christmas trees were thought to help alleviate erosion, case examples revealed that trees are commonly displaced by waves and wind during major storms, creating large destabilizing holes within dunes and beaches that led to increased erosion.

Nesting Shorebirds - Beach, dune, and barrier beach habitats support a variety of rare animals and plants, and Piping Plovers and Least Terns are two rare species that rely exclusively on these areas for feeding, roosting, nesting, and rearing their young. Christmas trees placed on dunes and beaches or within dune washover/blowout areas may cause harm to these shorebirds, as well as other species of wildlife. The trees may present barriers—physically occupying suitable nesting habitats and impeding chick movement to feeding areas. And if torn out and scattered across the beach after storms, trees can have unforeseen impacts on nesting sites. As a result of these impacts, the placement of Christmas trees in rare species habitat is generally prohibited. For further details about beach management considerations in protected habitats, see CZM’s Guidelines for Barrier Beach Management in Massachusetts (PDF, 12 MB). Also see CZ-Tip - Help Protect At-Risk Wildlife and Plants in Massachusetts Coastal Habitats to discover more about shorebirds and other species that rely on coastal habitats for survival.

Coastal Plants - In addition to destabilizing the sediments, Christmas trees (as well as brush, lawn clippings, vegetative debris, and other discarded materials) can impede the natural growth and establishment of beneficial plants. Whether installed in groupings that carpet existing vegetation or when displaced in a storm, Christmas trees can potentially smother and kill existing vegetation and prevent the growth of new plants whose root systems would otherwise help bind the soils. Live plants are a more natural stabilizer and can buffer wave energy while allowing the natural processes of erosion and sediment transport. See Alternatives for Erosion Control and Coastal Restoration below to discover more benefits of beachgrass and other coastal plants.

Exposed Trees - The Christmas trees that are uncovered by wind and waves can become an eyesore and a nuisance along the coast. Rows of trees used in large projects can end up littering the shoreline and create problems for cleanup, especially since these evergreen trees do not decompose quickly. And with their brown, dried-out needles, they not only look unsightly, but can be a significant fire hazard.

For additional details on design and site requirements, lessons learned from other states, and the benefits and detriments of using Christmas trees, see the Marine Extension Bulletin, To Tree or Not to Tree: The use of discarded Christmas trees for dune stabilization, by Woods Hole Sea Grant and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension. 

Alternatives for Christmas Tree Disposal

Instead of discarding Christmas trees along the shore, consider these options, including mulching, composting, creating wildlife habitat, and providing food and enrichment for farm and zoo animals. (No matter which option you select, be sure to remove all ornaments, lights, garlands, and tinsel, otherwise these objects can become a litter problem.)

Mulch - Discarded trees can be ground or chipped into mulch. Mulch offers many benefits when spread on garden beds, including maintaining moisture content in the soils, enriching soils with organic matter and nutrients, limiting weed growth, and helping to regulate soil temperatures. Though wood mulch does decompose over time, this slow and stable aerobic process allows the carbon to enter the soil rather than being released as methane gas. Here are two options to turn your tree into mulch:

  • Use tree collection or drop-off services - Many public works departments collect used Christmas trees or have drop-off events after the holidays. The collected trees are chipped and either used for mulch or compost (for use by residents or for local public gardens, trails, and parks). For options, contact your city/town or find your local information in the Massachusetts City & Town Recycling Links or see “Where do you dispose of your Christmas tree on Cape Cod?” from the Cape Cod Times. The Earth911 website also provides a search feature to find tree recycling programs near you.
  • Do it yourself - If you are the handy type, another option is to use a wood chipper (for rent or purchase at hardware stores). Typically, both the trunk and foliage can be thrown in the chipper, which creates a more balanced mulch. Though pines and firs are known to be acidic, their needles (especially when dried out) do not acidify the soil. The do-it-yourself approach provides the added benefit of having an immediate source of mulch for your garden or compost pile. Be sure to use these fresh wood chips for mulching around trees, shrubs, and perennials that have deeper, established root systems, and not flower or vegetable beds with shallower roots that will be affected by the lack of nitrogen at the soil surface (this temporary nitrogen deficiency is due to the wood chips using nitrogen for decomposition). See Epic Gardening’s The Pros and Cons of Wood Chip Mulch for details. Flower and vegetable beds can benefit from an application of compost—described next.

Compost - Compost is the organic material that is left after the Christmas tree has had enough time (and the right conditions) to break down and decompose. Follow these strategies for the most effective Christmas tree composting:

  • Start with smaller parts - Composting is best accomplished with trees that have already been chipped, since the original needles, branches, and trunk can take a very long time to break down. At a minimum, strip off the needles and cut up the branches and trunk into smaller pieces before placing them in a pile to decompose.
  • Add the ingredients for a healthy compost - Christmas trees are primarily made up of wood, which is high in carbon. To create a well-balanced compost to be used as a soil amendment, add more green materials—such as grass clippings and vegetable and fruit waste—to increase the nitrogen content. See the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Home Composting for Zero Waste (PDF, 2.3 MB) for details on everything from adding the right compost ingredients to the critters that help break it down.
  • Aerate - Decomposition of organic materials in the absence of oxygen can produce harmful methane gas. To avoid this and create a cleaner compost, turn/rotate the compost often or use sticks and pipes to increase oxygen flow through the material. For more on how to aerate compost, see the Compost Gardener’s Aerobic Decomposition.
  • Apply to soils - When the compost is dark, crumbly, and fluffy with an earthy and not rancid odor, it’s ready! Apply it to soils to improve the structure, water retention, drainage, and nutrient content, which helps plants thrive. Compost also adds organic matter that feeds the beneficial microbes and fungi, which is good for soil health and plants. For additional information about the benefits of compost and strategies for its use, see CZM’s Stormwater Solutions for Homeowners Fact Sheet: Green Lawn and Garden Practices.

Wildlife Habitat and Zoo Enrichment - Discarded Christmas trees can also get a second life with wildlife and animals at local farms and zoos. Check out these options that can help your furry or feathered friends:

  • Save it for wildlife habitat - Discarded trees can be used to create habitat in your backyard for wildlife—the woody limbs and brush can act as perches and provide shelter from the elements and a place for birds, small mammals, and other creatures to hide. To be safe in fire prone areas, only leave trees out for the winter and use other disposal options in the spring and summer when it becomes too dry to safely keep trees in your yard.
  • Take it to a farm or zoo - Christmas trees are frequently requested by farms and zoos to provide food and a form of enrichment. Local farms often accept Christmas tree for their animals—goats and chickens love to eat the evergreen needles, while benefitting from their natural deworming components. See the MassGrown Map and click through the search criteria to find a local farm to see if they accept tree donations. Zoo animals, including lions, tigers, mini donkeys, and reindeer, are known to tussle with and bat around these evergreens like toys, or nibble at the needles—see Zoo New England’s Instagram post about their environmental enrichment efforts.

What Not to Do - Avoid bringing your Christmas tree to the landfill for disposal. Christmas trees are carbon sinks—meaning they are able to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and fix it in their trunks, branches, and roots, and ultimately help reduce this harmful greenhouse gas. However, if these trees get covered in a landfill, they will anaerobically decompose (with the lack of oxygen), and their carbon content will return to the atmosphere as methane gas (a greenhouse gas that causes significant harm and is more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere). Burning the tree in a bonfire is also not recommended, since all the carbon dioxide is immediately returned to the air. And burning your tree in the fireplace or a wood stove is highly discouraged since the resulting creosote buildup can potentially cause a house fire.

Alternatives for Erosion Control and Coastal Restoration

Management techniques have evolved based on past experiences and current understanding of coastal processes and impacts to wildlife habitats—and the potential harm caused by using Christmas trees for erosion control appears to outweigh the benefits. While no shoreline stabilization option permanently stops all erosion or storm damage, consider these alternatives for helping to capture and build up sand on beaches and dunes.

Sand Fencing - Sand fences are temporary structures designed to help capture sand to build dunes and protect inland areas from storm damage. Like Christmas trees, they are a relatively low-cost, easy-to-install method. Unlike Christmas trees, however, sand fences do not leave large destabilizing holes if they are torn out in storm events. Sand fencing also has less potential to smother beneficial vegetation. To minimize harm to wildlife, sand fences must be properly sited and installed. Design and siting considerations include avoiding rare habitats, such as protected shorebird and turtle nesting areas, where fencing could act as a physical barrier. The Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program may have specific requirements at some sites, such as location, linear extent, size of the openings, time of year for construction, and other design details for sand-fencing installation. To reduce impacts and maximize the benefits, refer to StormSmart Properties Fact Sheet 6: Sand Fencing, which provides design considerations for the most effective and safe use.

Live Plantings - Plants are extremely effective at holding sediments in place and helping to stabilize windblown sand. In particular, American beachgrass is extremely important for stabilizing fronting dunes (the dunes closest to the beach), since the strong and fast-growing underground rhizomes (root-like underground stems) spread beneath the sand and give rise to many new plants. See CZ-Tip - Dune Building with Beachgrass for more. Other native plants that are salt-tolerant and have extensive root systems can also be planted to help stabilize dune sediments and prevent erosion, as well as provide many other benefits. Along with their effectiveness and relatively low cost, plants are more aesthetically appealing than dried-out Christmas trees or structural measures. For details on design considerations, plant options, and permitting information, see StormSmart Properties Fact Sheet 3: Planting Vegetation to Reduce Erosion and Storm Damage, and for a list and descriptions of appropriate coastal plants, see the Coastal Landscaping website. Please note that planting on or near dunes will need approval by the local Conservation Commission and also may be restricted in nesting habitat for protected shorebird species.

Other Available Techniques for Preventing Erosion - See the StormSmart Properties page for a listing and description of effective erosion-control and sediment-building options that minimize harmful impacts to shoreline systems, including: artificial dunes and dune nourishment, controlling overland runoff to reduce coastal erosion, bioengineering/coir rolls on coastal banks, and bioengineering/natural fiber blankets on coastal banks.

1Scroll down the Duxbury Beach Reservation, Inc. Coastal Resilience Program page to see “History of Restoration Work on Duxbury Beach.”

2Many states continue to use Christmas trees as an erosion control practice along their shores. The benefits/detriments of this practice vary based on location, conditions along the shore (such as flood zones and wind exposure), proximity to the water, sand availability, and many other factors. Mangers use the best available information to utilize practices that work best for their region.

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