MN Department of Agriculture Urges Safe Christmas Tree Disposal

State officials urge the public to property dispose of Christmas trees and wreaths to avoid the introduction of invasive insects like elongate hemlock scale (pictured) to Minnesota. (Credit: Minnesota Department of Agriculture)

Although Christmas trees can be festive and beautiful decorations, they can also potentially be dangerous to the state’s ecosystem if not disposed of correctly. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture urges people to safely dispose of their trees in order to protect the environment.

“One of the things that we want people to be aware of – and they might not know this – is that when we get some of these products that come in from out of the state, oftentimes they can be harboring invasive species,” explained MDA Pest Detection Unit Supervisor Angie Ambourn. “They could have other insects and diseases as well that are that are native. But the bigger issue here are invasive species that we might not have in the state.”

Many of the evergreen decorations displayed in Minnesota homes every year come from out-of-state Christmas tree farms. Those trees may be home to some undesirable guests.

“One of the insects that we’ve been kind of dealing with is called the elongate hemlock scale,” said Ambourn. “It’s a tiny, tiny little insect on the underside of the leaves that most people probably won’t even see. It looks like a speck of dirt. And so that insect is not currently established in Minnesota, and it is a pest of Christmas trees in other parts of the country.”

These pests can affect the yield of trees, their colors, size, and the durability of needles and leaves. Once they make their way into the state, they can affect all Minnesota-grown trees as well, which is why tree and wreath disposal is so vital.

“The best thing for people to do is to use their curbside pick-up,” stated Ambourn. “Most communities will have some kind of – through this time period, you can throw the Christmas trees out on the front by your trash can and they’ll pick them up and take them, and that’s the best thing to do. For other times, there are designated drop-off sites to take those Christmas trees.”

Depending on your city ordinances, wreaths can either be brought out to the curb or go right in the trash, if they are small enough.

Ambourn added, “If people think they have something [on their trees or wreaths] that they’ve not seen before, they can go to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website, and there is, it’s called “Report a Pest.” And you can actually report things right in there and just let us know and we can try to help you figure out what it is.”

One other way to rid your home of trees is to safely burn them, but doing so is dependent on different city ordinances, so be sure to check out any local rules and regulations first.

More information on the best management practices for holiday greenery can be found on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.