▁first ▁created ▁in ▁Germany ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁or ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁and ▁are ▁regarded ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁types ▁of ▁artificial ▁Christmas ▁trees . ▁These ▁first ▁artificial ▁trees ▁were , ▁in ▁part , ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁growing ▁environmental ▁concerns ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁concerning ▁def or est ation ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁har vest ▁of ▁Christmas ▁trees ▁in ▁Germany . ▁The ▁tradition ▁of ▁fe ather ▁Christmas ▁trees ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁by ▁German ▁imm igr ants ▁in ▁places ▁such ▁as ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Fe ather ▁Christmas ▁trees ▁became ▁popular ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁and ▁were ▁sold ▁by ▁department ▁stores ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Ben ef its ▁tout ed ▁for ▁fe ather ▁trees ▁included ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁the ▁tree ▁lot ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁shed ▁need les . ▁Today , ▁fe ather ▁Christmas ▁trees ▁are ▁val ued ▁as ▁a ▁collect ible ▁ant ique . ▁One ▁ 3 6 ▁in ch ▁German ▁tree ▁sold ▁at ▁au ction ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁for ▁$ 2 3 0 . ▁ ▁Design ▁ ▁Fe ather ▁trees ▁were ▁initially ▁made ▁of ▁green - dy ed ▁go ose ▁fe athers ▁which ▁were ▁attached ▁to ▁wire ▁branches . ▁The ▁fe athers ▁were ▁split ▁and ▁then ▁secured ▁with ▁wire ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁branches . ▁These ▁wire ▁branches ▁were ▁then ▁wrapped ▁around ▁a ▁central ▁dow el ▁which ▁acted ▁as ▁the ▁tr unk . ▁The ▁branches