FANTASTIC PLASTIC MANY SOUTHLAND RESIDENTS FIND THEMSELVES PINING FOR FAKE HOLIDAY TREES.

Byline: Barbara De Witt  Staff Writer

Bushy Scotch pines, elegant blue-green spruces and tall-trunked Alpines with tiny pinecones on the branches.

Fake trees never looked more real. Even naked - without built-in lights or garland and ornaments - the newest generation of artificial trees is designed to look fresh from the Christmas tree lot, right down to the size and shape of the needles.

Only these trees have no woodsy smell or sap deposits to set off allergies and asthma. Or a container you have to keep filled with water. Or branches that droop and drop needles on the carpet.

There's no embarrassment, either.

``More and more people are inquiring about artificial trees these days because they're tired of hassling with a real tree that dries out easily in our warm weather ... and they like the ease and convenience and the realistic shape and fibers of the newer trees,'' says Kathleen Knutson, a saleswoman at Lowe's in Burbank.

Some are even better than the real thing.

``Once manufacturers were able to duplicate the tree varieties found at tree lots, they started taking the best elements of favorite tree styles and blending them to create the perfect tree - one that is full, but not too bushy so that branches can safely showcase expensive glass ornaments,'' says Todd Chodorow, office manager of Deforest's Christmas Shop in Woodland Hills.

According to Chodorow, there's a growing interest in collectible hand- blown glass ornaments, such as those by Christopher Radko, so customers like the idea of an artificial tree because they can bend the branches to keep the ornaments in place and display them longer since the tree never loses its just-cut appearance.

Of course, all this hybrid perfection can raise the cost of an artificial tree from $150 to as much as $500, but they come with warranties for as long as 10 years.

And there are so many stress-free options, such as built-in lights. In addition to the tiny white twinkle styles that hit the market in 1998, there are now larger multicolored lights that look like traditional lights for live trees. And some even have tiny candles reminiscent of those nostalgic ``bubble'' lights.

Get your fiber

At Kmart, there's a forest of tree styles to choose from, but the buzz is about trees that glimmer with fiber optics.

``It's the hottest trend of the seasonal industry and really stands out from other tree styles,'' says Kmart spokesman Frank Kruszewski, who explains that fiber optics are clear plastic with beads of color on the ends that are woven into the other natural-looking tree branch fibers. Once the tree is plugged into the wall, the colors start radiating. According to Kruszewski, the fiber optic tree is available only in table-top sizes (42 to 48 inches) and appeals to young people who like the novelty of it and also older empty-nesters who want a small tree that doesn't take much effort to assemble.

``Fiber optics won't take the place of the traditional larger tree, but it and the small prelit trees are becoming popular as second trees for large homes,'' says Kruszewski.

If a family is only buying one tree, salespeople at Kmart, Target, Lowe's and Sears all report that it's usually big and very traditional- looking.

``Our best seller is a big 9-foot-tall spruce type ... a deep green style that looks like the expensive type at the Christmas tree lot. And since hanging lights on that big a tree is difficult, some customers request the kind that comes prelit,'' says Richard White, a salesman at Sears at the Westfield Shoppingtown in Canoga Park.

Coming together

Serious tree trimmers also are asking for the new rotating platform at Sears and other stores, but White says it scares off some customers because it exposes all sides of the tree and therefore requires more ornaments and decorating time.

Other options include a choice of color-coded hook-hinged branches that have to be sorted by color and then assembled from the bottom up, or prehinged trees that come in several sections instead of individual branches.

The color-coded method can take up to three hours for a large tree (compared to an hour and a half for the prehinged variety) but is less expensive. Regardless of the type of assembly you buy, the first time you put it together you'll probably need to spend additional time figuring out how to shape the tree to fit your room or personal taste, explains Kmart's Kruszewski.

An added bonus with artificial trees is the clean up. There's no dead skeleton of a tree to drag through the house after the holidays. You simply take it apart and put it neatly back in its box to store until next year, then watch the Rose Parade while your neighbors are busy vacuuming up needles.

TREETOP TIPS

Shopping for your first artificial Christmas tree?

Don't keel over from sticker shock. An artificial tree may be priced at twice (or thrice) the price of a similarly sized live tree, but it will look fresh for 10 to 25 years. While you're inspecting the indoor tree lot, also consider:

Size. Artificial trees come in a wide range of heights, from small table- top styles to towering 12 footers. Also note the girth, which is usually stated on the tags. For instance, if you've got a tall ceiling but very little space in a corner, you may want what's called a ``space-saver'' size that's 7 1/2 feet tall but only 48 inches around at the bottom.

Price. You can find table-top styles for under $20 and designer-quality trees for as much as $500 for a 10-footer - with lots of 6- to 7-foot trees for about $150 to $250. Real fresh-cut Noble firs at a local lot were priced at $75 for a 6-footer and $189.99 for an 11-footer, but keep in mind they last only one season.

Count the tips. On each tag the manufacturer not only tells you how tall the tree is, but how many tips (at the end of the branches) it has. The more tips, the better the quality of the tree and the fuller (more realistic) it will appear. For instance, a 7 1/2-foot tree can have anywhere from 800 to 2,000 tips.

Feel the branches. Run your hand along the branches just like you do with live trees. Only here, you're checking the material quality and appearance as well as its sturdiness. You want a branch that is strong enough to hold ornaments year after year, yet pliable enough to bend slightly to keep ornaments from sliding off.

Warranties. Each tree manufacturer has a different warranty, guaranteeing the workmanship for as little as six months for the new fiber optics trees to designer-quality trees with a 25-year warranty. Trees that come with lights have separate warranties, such as a two-year warranty for the lights and 10-year warranties for the tree, so use caution.

Lights. Some of the newest trees can use most any indoor lighting but most require the small twinkle type. If you're looking at prelighted trees, check the tag for the number of lights, which ranges from 200 to 1,000.

Assembly. Early bottle-brush models were simply folded up and then fluffed out when used, but today's artificial trees come in a choice of color-coded hinges or the easier (and more expensive) prehinged trees that require less assembly time.

Tree stands. All artificial trees come with a stand, but you need to check for sturdiness. When shopping, reach your hand into the tree and give it a shake to test it. A new option is a revolving stand that shows off great ornaments but also requires more ornaments and decorating skills.

Look at the box. Stores have trees displayed, but you also want to consider what the storage box looks like, since you'll be storing it year after year.

Safety. No tree is fireproof, but most artificial trees are flame-retardant and will say so on the tag and the box. Do not put an artificial tree next to burning candles or a fireplace, and remember to turn your tree lights off when you leave the house or go to bed - just like you would with a live tree.

- B.D.

CAPTION(S):

6 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Just fake it

Artificial trees look more like the real thing, but last a lot longer

(2 -- 3 -- color) no caption (christmas tree branches)

(4 -- color) Fiber-optic trees are the newest trend and available in a variety of sizes at Green Thumb nursery in Canoga Park and other local stores.

(5 -- 6 -- color) If you're in the market for a full size tree, you can take your pick from the artificial ones at Green Thumb, above. At left is a closeup of an artificial $450 Prince Albert tree, available complete with colored lights at Deforest's Christmas Shop in Woodland Hills.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

Box: TREETOP TIPS (see text)