Best 9 ft Pre-Lit Christmas Trees 2026: Which One Fits Your Ceiling and Your Floor?

Which pre-lit tree wins at 9 ft, and why?

The best pre-lit 9 ft Christmas tree is the one that clears your ceiling, fits a floor circle you can spare, and states what stands behind its lights. By that definition the Puleo comes first, and it does not win on looks. Its foliage is PVC at 233 tips per foot, exactly the median of the ten. It wins on paperwork: a laboratory mark, a flame-resistant label, a width and a warranty length on one page.

Each tree gets six scores out of 10 for what its maker writes: fullness, realistic needles, lighting, easy setup, safety marks, and warranty and information. The ranking is the total out of 60. A score judges the product page, never an assembled tree, and no customer rating enters it. The full scale is on the methodology page.

Sources: Maker product pages of the ten trees on Amazon.com, November 14, 2026, and the scale

Read the table by column. The Warranty column is where the two Hykolity trees lose their lead: neither writes a length, a base width or a weight, so they score 1 or 2 there while every Best Choice tree scores 5 and the Puleo 10. The Safety column works the other way: a 1 or a 2 does not say a tree is unsafe, it says the page does not tell you, and the cord tag will.

Two trees tie at 39. The tiebreak is the written base width, because the width decides whether the tree fits, so the Slim Aspen, which writes it, is ahead of the Hykolity PE, which does not. A tree out of stock never reaches the podium: all ten showed as in stock on November 14, 2026, one of them with only 18 left.

What is the best 9-foot artificial Christmas tree?

Among trees with built-in lights, the Puleo. If you would rather string your own lights, an unlit 9 ft tree has no wiring to fail and its own page: the 9 ft artificial Christmas trees page covers what changes without lights.

Ten 9 ft pre-lit trees compared: width, tips and lights side by side

This comparison keeps ten 9 ft trees with built-in lights, from a 35 in pencil to a 64 in full tree, each in stock on November 14, 2026. Unlit trees and other heights have their own pages: the 7.5 ft pre-lit trees cover the size below.

The table keeps four things per tree: size, tips and needle material, lights, and safety and warranty wording. "Not written" in a cell is a gap in what the seller tells you, not a defect of the tree.

Counts come from each product page's bullets and technical sheet. Where the two disagree, the card says so and names the figure used: the lower one. The scores judge the page, not an assembled tree.

The ten 9 ft pre-lit trees one by one: who each is for

The cards follow the ranking. Each gives the measurements the page writes, the six scores, six points in its favor, three reserves and a verdict. Two pages were read with extra care because they disagree with themselves: the Hykolity PE-foliage page, whose bullets and technical sheet give different tip counts, and the National Tree Kingswood, whose tip field holds its light count.

How to choose a 9 ft pre-lit Christmas tree: five checks before you buy

You choose a 9 ft pre-lit tree from the room outward. A photo shows a tree in front of a neutral wall and shows neither your ceiling nor your floor nor its cord. So the method runs in the order that removes the most trees first, and every step is a division or a measurement you can repeat with the product page open.

1. 1
   Measure the ceiling where the tree will stand

   A 108 in tree needs 114 in (9 ft 6 in) for a bare tip and about 120 in with a topper. A fan, a recessed light or a sloped edge can cost inches.

2. 2
   Mark the floor circle

   Base widths here run from 35 to 64 in, and a circle that wide is the floor you give up. Tape it down, and keep 3 ft between the tree and any heat source, as NFPA asks.

3. 3
   Divide the tips by 9

   The median is 233 tips per foot. Under 150 is a thin tree by design, and 300 or more is dense. Divide the lower count when a page gives two.

4. 4
   Divide the lights by 9

   The median is 84 lights per foot, and 100 or more is a full glow. Then read the bulb type and what the page says happens if one bulb fails.

5. 5
   Read the safety and warranty lines

   Look for UL, ETL or CSA next to the lights and a length in years. Only 2 of the 10 write a mark and 1 a warranty length, so ask the seller when yours is silent.

The last step deserves a word, because most buyers skip it. Warranty lines are rare for a legal reason, the Federal Trade Commission says: federal law does not force a company to offer a written warranty, but any that exists must be readable before the sale, online too. So a silent page means ask, not suspect.

Sources: NFPA, tree safety tip sheet, 2025 ; FTC warranty guide

Will a 9 ft pre-lit tree fit your room? Ceiling, width and floor

Two numbers set the size, and a photo shows neither: the ceiling caps the height, and the floor and the walkway cap the width. Buyers of tall trees usually check the ceiling and forget the circle on the floor.

Does a 9 ft tree fit under your ceiling?

Only with a ceiling of 9 ft 6 in or more, and 10 ft is comfortable. Four of the ten pages write 108 in "including stand", so for those the tip stands 108 in above the floor, not 108 in plus a stand. The other six write "9 ft" or 108 in without saying, so assume the same height and check the box.

The Christmas tree size calculator does the same arithmetic for your own ceiling, stand and topper.

How wide is a 9 foot Christmas tree?

From 35 to 64 in across the lowest branches among the ten, depending on the tree. A full tree runs 53 to 64 in, a pencil 35 to 36 in, and the two Hykolity pages write no width at all. Divide the base by the height to see the shape: 0.33 for the Pencil Pine (35.5 on 108), 0.45 for the Puleo, 0.56 for the Twinkling Spruce and 0.59 for the Full Aspen.

How much floor does a 9 ft tree take?

More than the photo suggests. A base width converts to the area of a circle that wide, so two trees compare like two rugs. The table puts the width, the floor and the weight side by side.

Sources: Maker product pages on Amazon.com, November 14, 2026 ; NFPA, tree safety tip sheet, 2025

The floor needs two more numbers. The trunk should stand at least half the base width from a wall, so the lowest branches touch it without being crushed, and at least half the width plus 3 ft from a fireplace, radiator or heater. For the Full Aspen that is 32 in from a wall and 68 in from a heater. A corner works only if the heat source is on the far side of the room, and if it is not, a 35 in tree is the answer, not a clever angle.

7.5 ft or 9 ft: what does the ceiling decide?

The ceiling decides. A 7.5 ft tree is 90 in tall and leaves 6 in under an 8 ft ceiling; a 9 ft tree is 18 in taller and wants 114 to 120 in. Under a 9 ft ceiling or lower, take the 7.5 ft size: the 7.5 ft artificial trees compare it in full, and the lit ones are on the 7.5 ft pre-lit page.

What's the biggest artificial Christmas tree you can buy?

The tallest tree among the 75 product pages gathered for this site is 9 ft, so it is the top of what is compared here. The Best Choice Twinkling Spruce page also lists a 12 ft size in its size ladder, and Intertek's notice on the UL 588 standard puts the extra UL 2358 fire tests at trees taller than 30 in and shorter than 12 ft, so a taller tree sits outside that wording: read what the page says about its tests.

Is a 9 ft pre-lit tree heavy? Weight, setup and taking it apart

Eight of the ten pages write a weight and the two Hykolity pages do not. The spread is wide for one height: 17.6 lb for the Puleo, 25.5 and 26.5 lb for the two narrow trees, 34 to 46.5 lb for the mid-range, and 54 lb for the Balsam Hill. A weight on a page is a shipped weight, so the section you lift is lighter, but it tells you what the box does to a closet or a staircase.

What does the weight on the page tell you about lifting this tree?

From 17.6 to 54 lb among the eight that write one, and four of the eight sit between 34 and 47 lb. The Puleo's 17.6 lb is the one to question: it is about half the weight of the Slim Aspen, so ask the seller whether the figure counts the stand. Weight helps stability, which is why a light pencil tree needs a quiet room.

How long does a 9 ft pre-lit tree take to set up the first time?

Only one maker gives a time. Best Choice lists fluffing by height, and for 9 ft it writes 1 to 1.5 hours for both Aspen trees. the Hykolity PE page writes four hinged sections, Balsam Hill says to shape the tree section by section from the bottom, and the Puleo has letter-coded hinged sections. Count on an evening, and on two people for the lift, because the top section sits above head height.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission counts about 160 decorating injuries a day in the holiday season, nearly half of them falls. At 9 ft that is the number to remember: plug the lights in only after the last section is seated, and keep one person on the stool and another on the section.

How do you take apart a 9 foot pre-lit Christmas tree?

Reverse the setup, from the top. Unplug the tree, take off every ornament, then lift each section away in turn, fold the hinged branches against the pole and keep the sections in the order they came out.

1. 1
   Unplug and strip

   Remove ornaments and any strand you added. Unplug the pedal or remote and tape it to the box.

2. 2
   Lift from the top

   The top section comes off first. Letter-coded sections, as on the Puleo, go back in reverse order.

3. 3
   Fold the branches

   Hinged branches drop against the pole. The Hykolity PE page writes four sections, so that tree stores as four bundles.

4. 4
   Box it dry

   National Tree Company's FAQ says to store a tree in its original carton or a bag, away from heat and moisture. Keep the carton.

Sources: CPSC, 2025 holiday release ; National Tree Company, FAQ

Types of 9 ft pre-lit tree: which shape, foliage and coating fit your room?

Four choices define a 9 ft tree, and they are independent: its shape, its foliage, its lights and its coating. The shape decides whether it fits, so it comes first.

Sources: Maker product pages on Amazon.com, November 14, 2026

Do you need a slim 9 ft tree for a narrow room?

Only if the floor is tight, and only if "slim" really means slim. In this group the word covers trees from 35 in to 60 in wide:

• Best Choice Pencil Pine, "pencil": 35.5 in.
• National Tree Kingswood, "slim": 35 in.
• Puleo Fraser Fir, "slim": 49 in.
• Balsam Hill Berkshire, "slim": 54 in, which the page calls "a slender 4.5-foot width".
• Best Choice Slim Aspen, "slim": 58 in in the bullets and 60 in on the technical sheet, as wide as the Twinkling Spruce.

Compare by width, never by label. The two true pencils pay for their width in fullness, with 144 and 160 tips per foot against a median of 233. The slim pre-lit trees and the slim trees pages go further on the narrow shapes.

Where can I find a 9-foot flocked Christmas tree?

Among the ten, the YITAHOME is the flocked one: 900 lights, a 53 in base, 40.1 lb and a cotton-based flocking. Best Choice also sells a 9 ft pre-lit flocked tree, with 900 lights, a 59 in base and 50.5 lb. Flocking sheds when you handle the tips, so unpack over a sheet. The flocked trees page compares the whole family, which is why most flocked 9 ft trees are not on this page.

How full should a 9 ft pre-lit tree be? Branch tips per foot

A branch tip is one of the small branchlets that carry the needles. "Full" has no unit on a product page, and a tree can claim it at 144 tips per foot or at 1,066. The tip count is the one number a maker writes that a buyer can turn into a fair comparison, and a 9 ft tree has thousands of tips, so a small gap per foot means little and a gap of several hundred means a lot.

Be careful with the Hykolity PE page. Its bullets give 5,179 tips and its technical sheet gives 1,854, a third as many. The lower count is used here: 206 tips per foot, not 575. That moves it from the second-fullest tree to eighth of ten, and it is why its fullness score is 8.

Sources: Maker product pages on Amazon.com, November 14, 2026; the Hykolity PE page gives 5,179 and 1,854

The material matters as much as the count. A polyethylene (PE) tip is molded, so the maker can shape a cluster of needles, while a PVC tip is a flat cut strip. Four of the ten write PE, and only the Hykolity Multicolor gives the split. The PE or PVC guide shows how to tell them apart. A tree this tall also looks sparse until it is shaped, so give it the hour: the fluffing guide gives the method.

Are PE needles worth looking for on a 9 ft tree?

At 9 ft, on what the pages write, the Hykolity PE Foliage, with the top score for needles, then the Hykolity Multicolor, the Full Aspen and the Slim Aspen, all four of which write PE. No page can certify that a tree looks real, and the Hykolity PE page has no width, weight or warranty to back its claim, so ask before you order. The pre-lit trees page answers the question across every height, and the best artificial trees guide covers which fake tree looks the most real overall.

How many lights should go on a 9 ft Christmas tree?

No standard sets a light count, and 100 per foot is a yardstick used here to compare the ten against one another, not a rule. The group is spread wide: 450 lights on the Pencil Pine, 1,200 on the Full Aspen. So the answer to how many lights a 9 foot tree needs depends on how full the tree is, which is why two numbers go together: lights per foot, and tips per light.

Sources: Maker product pages on Amazon.com, November 14, 2026

What do lights per foot really tell you?

How bright the tree looks from across the room, and how hard the lights work to cover the branches. A high count on a thin tree gives an even glow, and the same count on a full tree gives depth, because lights sit inside the branches. A low count on a full tree gives the dark corners buyers complain about, a risk to check on the Hykolity Multicolor, with 13.7 tips for each light.

Count the modes too. The Full Aspen writes nine sequences, the Slim Aspen nine functions, YITAHOME eleven modes, the Twinkling Spruce three. More modes sound like more value, but the useful question is whether the steady setting looks right, since most homes leave a tree on steady. A tree whose page sells its twinkle may not suit a calm room.

LED or incandescent on a 9 ft tree?

LED on seven of the ten, incandescent on the Kingswood, and two pages, the Puleo and YITAHOME, that do not name the bulb. The Department of Energy puts the gap at up to 90 percent less energy and up to 25 times the life for LEDs, which also stay cool to the touch; an incandescent bulb sheds about 90 percent of its energy as heat. NFPA found lamps or bulbs behind 24 percent of home Christmas tree fires in 2020 to 2024.

An incandescent tree is not unsafe by itself: the Kingswood is last of the ten for setup and safety wording, not for its bulbs. But between two similar trees take the LED one, and read the label before you add a strand.

Can you add more lights to a pre-lit 9 ft tree?

Yes, but read the label first. NFPA points you to the maker's instructions for how many strands may be joined. Under UL 588's 19th edition, in force since July 16, 2018, the limit is a total wattage instead of a count of strings, and a label may say "Do not connect to another lighting string" (Intertek notice). If yours does, plug extra strands into a separate outlet.

For incandescent strings the Consumer Product Safety Commission says never to connect more than three sets. A tree that already carries 900 lights does not need more; a thin look is better fixed with ribbon, garland and ornaments, which add depth without adding load.

What are the common problems with pre-lit Christmas trees, and what do you do when a section goes dark?

Three problems account for most dark sections: a blown fuse in the plug, a failed pedal or remote, and a join between sections that did not seat. A single bulb is the least likely cause, since the Puleo and the Hykolity PE page say the other lights stay lit when one fails. Unplug first, then follow the current from the outlet toward the tip.

1. The outlet and the plug. Test another outlet. A pre-lit plug often hides a fuse, and the Balsam Hill box ships spares; a new fuse must carry the rating printed on the tag.
2. The pedal or remote. It runs the modes and can fail on its own. Set steady on, change the batteries, then look the model up in the recall list.
3. The joins between sections. Lift the dark section off and set it back until it seats. Easy Plug on the Balsam Hill and Fast Connect on the Hykolity run through the trunk.
4. The cords. A strand with frayed or pinched wires goes in the trash, as the U.S. Fire Administration advises.

No product page writes a failure rate for its lights, so none is invented here. On a 9 ft tree the fix means reaching at step-stool height, which is a reason to prefer a tree that ships spare bulbs and fuses and one that names a stay-lit design.

Sources: DOE guide to energy-efficient lighting ; NFPA, winter holidays page ; Intertek notice on UL 588 ; CPSC, 2017 holiday safety release ; USFA, holiday fire safety

Is it worth buying a pre-lit Christmas tree at 9 ft?

On a 9 ft tree the case for built-in lights is strongest, because the alternative is wrapping about 900 lights around a tree taller than you are. A factory job also gives one plug, one switch and, on some trees, a pedal or a remote.

The costs are real. If the lights fail before the branches, a section is harder to swap than a string on an unlit tree. You are limited to the modes your tree writes. And the lights add an electrical part that should carry a laboratory mark, which only 2 of these 10 write.

What is a pre-lit Christmas tree, and how do the lights connect?

A pre-lit tree has its light strings wired into the branches at the factory, so you assemble it, plug it in and the lights are there. On a 9 ft tree the strings run through the trunk in sections. Some link as you stack them, which is how the Balsam Hill's Easy Plug, the Hykolity's Fast Connect and the Best Choice Aspen trees' cordless link work: you plug in the base only. For the others the page does not explain the link, so read the manual.

Is it better to get a prelit tree or not?

For a 9 ft tree, usually yes, for the reasons above. The question has a longer answer across every height on the pre-lit trees page, including how the lights fail and what a pre-lit tree promises.

How long do pre-lit Christmas trees last, and how often should you replace one?

Plan on at least five seasons. The American Christmas Tree Association says most artificial trees are used for about 10 years, and the 2018 study it commissioned puts the break-even against a real tree at 4.7 years, for a 6.5 ft tree, so read both as orders of magnitude for 9 ft. There is no replacement schedule: replace the tree when its lights can no longer be made safe, with frayed wires, a recalled controller or a section that stays dark. What wears out first is the subject of the lifespan page.

Can you leave a pre-lit 9 ft tree on all night? Marks, fire data and recalls

NFPA keeps the count. Its figure for 2020 to 2024 is 143 home fires a year that began with a Christmas tree, with 7 civilian deaths and 13 civilian injuries a year. The report before it, for 2016 to 2020, found 160 fires a year. Neither separates artificial trees from natural ones, so no figure on this page is for artificial trees alone.

Sources: NFPA, winter holidays page and Christmas tree fires report, 2022

A pedal or a remote makes the habit easy to keep: the Hykolity Multicolor and the Balsam Hill have a foot pedal, and YITAHOME has a remote that works from up to 13 ft. The tip sheet also asks for 3 ft between the tree and any heat source. The U.S. Fire Administration has a rule for old strings: a strand with frayed or pinched wires goes in the bin.

UL, ETL or CSA: what does the mark on the lights mean?

That a recognized laboratory checked the lights against a safety standard. UL, Intertek (its mark is ETL) and CSA all appear on OSHA's list of nationally recognized testing laboratories, and no one of them is better. Seasonal lights follow UL 588; from its 19th edition in 2018, a tree over 30 in and under 12 ft must also pass the UL 2358 fire tests, a range that takes in every tree here.

Two of the ten write a mark: the Puleo ("UL Listed" lights) and the Twinkling Spruce ("UL-Certified" LEDs). The other eight write none, which is not proof they lack one, so read the cord tag when the box arrives. Ten of the 13 pre-lit 9 ft pages write "flame retardant" or "fire resistant", and the CPSC reads that label as extra resistance to catching fire, never as fireproofing.

Which recalls touched 9 ft pre-lit trees and their controllers?

The closest case is a 9 ft tree. Willis Electric made Home Accents Holiday pine trees of 7.5 and 9 ft, sold at Home Depot in 2019, and the CPSC announced their recall in July 2020 because the foot pedal can overheat: 509 reports of overheating and one burn, about 99,000 trees.

Sources: CPSC notices, July 2020 and February 2013, listed with the others on the recalls page

The CPSC database showed no recall for Best Choice Products, Puleo or National Tree Company on November 14, 2026, searched by title and by maker, and only the two old Balsam Hill entries above; Hykolity and YITAHOME were not searched by name. Three of the ten have a pedal or a remote, the parts the table points at: keep them clear of fabric and look the brand up each autumn.

Can you put a pre-lit Christmas tree outside?

Only when the maker says so for your exact model, and a covered porch is still not outdoors. The Kingswood page describes the tree as suited to indoor and covered outdoor spaces, but National Tree Company's own FAQ says its trees are designed for indoor display only and ends the warranty for use outdoors, even under a shelter. The 2011 Balsam Hill recall is exactly this problem: trees sold as indoor and outdoor came with an indoor-only extension cord.

Can a fake Christmas tree this tall tip over?

It can, and no page writes a tipping test or a load rating for its stand. The stands are described: a metal base on the Best Choice trees, a foldable metal stand with scratch-proof feet on the Puleo, an X-shaped iron stand on YITAHOME, rubber feet on the Balsam Hill. A description is not a guarantee.

A tree is top-heavy, and a heavy ornament high up moves the weight up with it. The wide trees are steadier, and the narrow pencils need a quiet room. The American Veterinary Medical Association advises tying a tree to the ceiling or a door frame with fishing line if an animal climbs it, which works at any width.

Who makes the best pre-lit Christmas tree? Brands compared at 9 ft

Each brand leads on something and leaves something out. Of the ten trees, four are Best Choice Products, two are Hykolity, and Puleo, Balsam Hill, YITAHOME and National Tree Company have one each. We compare trees, not logos, so a brand appears when one of its trees earns the place.

What is the best brand of pre-lit Christmas tree?

On what the pages write at 9 ft, Puleo, because it is the only brand whose page states a mark, a width and a warranty length together. For density, Hykolity and the Best Choice Aspen trees lead. The answer changes at other heights, which the pre-lit trees page takes in turn.

Are Balsam Hill trees worth it?

Worth is a question about price, and this page shows none, so the answer is about what the page gives. The Berkshire writes 327 tips per foot, 100 lights per foot of clear LEDs, Easy Plug wiring and the fullest accessory kit, and it is the heaviest of the ten at 54 lb. It scores 36 and comes seventh, because its page writes no laboratory mark, no flame wording and no warranty length. If you shop at that end of the range, ask for the lights' certification before the name persuades you.

What is the best quality artificial Christmas tree?

What a photo hides is what marks quality: tips per foot, a laboratory mark on the lights, stay-lit bulbs, a metal stand, spares in the box and a warranty in writing. At one height, weight hints at it too, 17.6 to 54 lb here. The best artificial Christmas trees guide answers the question for every height.

What 9 ft pre-lit product pages say, and what they leave out

Sellers lean on words a photo supports ("full", "lush", "lifelike") and go quiet on the numbers that settle a purchase. Counting what each 9 ft page writes, line by line, shows which facts to expect and which to ask about.

Sources: Maker product pages on Amazon.com, November 14, 2026

Where can you buy a 9 ft pre-lit Christmas tree?

Take the width, the lights per foot and the mark you want from this page to the tag in the store, and ignore the adjective on the box. Searches for a 9 ft tree "near me", "on sale" or "clearance" depend on the day and the shelf, so no tree is promised to be in a given store.

The timing of sales has its own page: the Black Friday guide says how to judge a crossed-out number. No price appears on this page, because a price moves faster than a page does, so check it on the day you click.

Mistakes to avoid when you buy a 9 ft pre-lit tree

• Trusting the "9 ft" in the title and never measuring the ceiling at the spot where the tree will stand.
• Reading "slim" as narrow without checking the base width in inches: the "Slim Aspen" is 58 to 60 in.
• Comparing light counts without dividing by 9, or tip counts without taking the lower of two.
• Skipping the 3 ft from a fireplace or radiator because the fire is not lit in the photo.
• Ignoring the controller: a foot pedal is the part recalled on 9 ft trees in 2020.
• Adding strands without reading the cord tag, now that many tags say not to connect another string.
• Leaving the tree plugged in after the holidays: 35 percent of home tree fires happen in January.

Questions about 9 ft pre-lit Christmas trees

Our method and our sources

How the trees were gathered. On November 14, 2026, product pages on Amazon.com were collected for artificial trees by type and height, with delivery set to a U.S. address, and every 9 ft tree sold with built-in lights and in stock was considered. From each title, bullet list and technical sheet we noted the height, base, tips, lights and bulb type, foliage, hinges, any laboratory mark, flame wording, warranty and weight.

What was left out. Unlit trees, trees of other heights, accessories sold as trees, and any figure that could not be tied to one tree, such as a size ladder with six counts for five heights. Thirteen trees qualified. The ten kept cover each decision a buyer faces: ceiling, floor, foliage, lights and flocking. Three flocked trees, scoring 32 to 39, are left to the flocked trees page: Best Choice's pre-lit flocked and flocked pencil, and Hykolity's flocked PE. Prices, star ratings and sales rankings are not used and not shown.

How the ten were chosen and scored. Each is a 9 ft tree sold lit, in stock, whose page gives enough figures to compare. The same six scores out of 10 apply on every page of this site, the ranking is their total out of 60, and the written base width breaks a tie. The methodology page gives the scale for each point.

Our limits. A score reflects what a maker publishes, not a tree in your living room, and each brand decides what counts as one tip. The CPSC search did not cover Hykolity or YITAHOME by name. Fire, safety and warranty statements are the agencies' own, listed below.

Best 9 ft pre-lit Christmas trees: our conclusion

The best pre-lit 9 ft Christmas tree is the one that fits your room and writes what stands behind its lights. For most rooms with a ceiling of 9 ft 6 in or more, that is the Puleo 9 ft Slim Fraser Fir, the only tree of the ten with a UL mark, a width and a warranty length on its page. The Twinkling Spruce is the choice for LEDs with a UL claim, and the Full Aspen for the most lights.

Measure the ceiling at 114 in, tape out the circle, divide the tips and the lights by 9, and read the cord tag when the box arrives. Then switch the lights off at bedtime, keep 3 ft from any heat, and the tree will be back next December.