Black is the new green for Christmas trees

It has become popular as the little black dress of holiday decorations.
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Your green Christmas tree? That's so last season.
Artificial Tannenbaums come in fashion colors today. Pink. Purple. Chartreuse. Red and yellow for the Chiefs fans.
But the most chic of them all: the black Christmas tree.
Two 8-foot coal-colored trees grace the main dining room of the American Restaurant in Kansas City, Mo., this holiday season.
"When they first came out of the box I went. 'Oh, black Christmas trees?"' said manager Rene Fracassa, recalling her reaction when the restaurant's florist arrived.
But patrons are oohing and aahing over the trees, which are dazzling with clear lights and gold and silver ornaments.
In the future
You didn't find black Christmas trees in many stores this year. But Todd Weiner with Kansas City importer Sterling Inc. is ready to unleash them nationwide next season.
Weiner has been at Sterling's 10,000-square-foot showroom at Atlanta's Merchandise Mart, preparing it for the first big Christmas trade show of 2007 next month.
"Black is new and fresh," said Weiner, director of Sterling's Forest, the company's glittery Christmas showroom in downtown Kansas City.
Interior designers have requested black trees for years, and Weiner complied by creating a tree with needles as dark as midnight that shimmer like Mylar.
"I definitely think it will appeal to a young, trendy customer," he said.
Started in Britain
The British were the first to fade to black. Artificial black trees sold out in England last year. They even outsold green trees in some stores.
Taken aback by how quickly the ever-black trees caught on, British home and lifestyle editors counseled that black was the way to go for an elegant, sophisticated Christmas.
Americans must agree. Online merchant ChristmasTreeForMe.com sold out of hundreds of the trees this season -- at 149 to 399 each -- and is taking reservations for next year.
At Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Mich., billed as the world's largest Christmas store, all the black trees it bought from Weiner are gone -- at 375 each.
It's the little black dress of holiday decorations. Throw any color ornament on it, and it pops. One of the most striking ways to dress it: with all white ornaments.
"It's a high-fashion tree," said Sandra Schafsnitz, Bronner's assistant salesroom manager.
Cool enough to be sold in a store like Hot Topic, purveyor of body jewelry, skull rings and Morbid Threads clothing. The store at Zona Rosa has sold several 25 tabletop black trees this year.
A Goth Christmas tree is bound to be a hot topic. Schafsnitz, for one, has heard a couple of grumbles already.
Sacrilege!
"But then they see them decorated with silver and gold, and it's OK," she said. "It's not putting Christmas down."