Lodge pole pines amongst many Christmas tree species available in Ireland

Young lodge pole pines are not an unusual choice for household trees, writes Damien Enright

We always brought the two-metre-tall lodge pole pine that grows in a half-barrel in the yard indoors at Christmas. We’d stand it in the front hall, dress it with lights and put the presents underneath. Lodge pole pines can grow to 40 metres but they’re slow growers and the barrel also constrained its growth.

It took the indoor experience in its stride, as long as we kept it watered and sprayed. However, last summer, a haulier trucking some gravel into our yard, ran into it, so it’s currently as cracked as myself, but is recovering.