Alex Calamia

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Dec 3, 2025, 4:30 AM

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Updated

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You’re not the only one feeling the stress of the holiday season, your trees are too! Here are a few tips to keep your trees from getting damage from your Christmas lights.

Few things say the holidays like Christmas lights on your trees, but it can damage your plants if the lights aren't properly placed on your trees. I spoke with Nick Bates, an arborist with Davey Tree, to share some tips that will make decorating your trees with lights easy, and most importantly, keep your trees shining when they leaf out in spring!

Don't wrap lights on small branches

Not every branch needs to be wrapped in lights. Select branches that are at least 1 inch in diameter. Young branches have more delicate bark and can easily break. Bark damage this time of the year may not show up right away, but those minor nicks and breaks could be a gateway to rot and other issues during the growing season.

Also make sure your wires don't cross on branches because these pinch points can put unnecessary pressure on your tree's branches and potentially break them.

Take the lights off after the holidays are over

Don't wait until winter is over to take the lights off your tree. Lights can add weight to your tree branches during snowstorms. Our biggest snow events of the season happen right after the holidays end, around mid-January through mid-February.

Tree trunks expand when new growth begins in the spring, so don't leave lights on your trees during the growing season because the wire can choke your trees when they're rapidly growing.

Decorate conifers!

Their classic "Christmas tree shape" is much easier to decorate with lights because they wider on the bottom than they are on top. The lights can be gently secured with electrical tape and can be draped over branches instead of wrapped around them.

Hang lighted ornaments

Lighted ornaments are a great way for your trees to glisten without the effort and risks that come with wrapping tree branches in lights. Select branches that can support their weight and hang ornaments on the interior of deciduous trees so they don’t fall off the tree during snowstorms or windy days.