Artificial Christmas trees taking root in US

People in the United States are hoisting more artificial Christmas trees as they weigh the cost of the real ones.

Doug Hundley, a spokesman for the US National Christmas Tree Association in Littleton, Colorado, said US consumer habits have changed dramatically over the past 50 years, as more families and older people are opting for synthetic trees.

"At least 75 percent of Americans now own a plastic tree, mainly due to convenience, and many will keep those trees for three to five years," Hundley said.