UConn Horticulture Club sells Christmas trees to relieve finals stress

The UConn Horticulture Club is selling miniature decorated Christmas trees to spread holiday cheer to students stressed out over upcoming finals.

The trees come in a variety of sizes and can be lit or unlit based on preference.

The profits will go toward funding for the club’s trip to the Netherlands this spring, Kamil Jablonowski, president of the horticulture club and seventh-semester horticulture major, said. So far, the club has sold 201 trees and the club is expecting to make a profit of around $2,500, Jablonowski said.

“We are planning on going to the Keukenhof gardens which has one of the largest tulip displays in the entire world. We will probably also be looking at some production greenhouse because the Netherlands produce a lot of plants” said Jablonowski.

Jablonowski defined the Horticulture Club as a, “a place for students who are interested in plants to come together and do things in their interests. Horticulture is a combination of plant production and aesthetic value.”

The fundraiser is the first of its kind in years.

“The club fell in decline and we just brought it back this year,” Jablonowski said.

The holiday gesture may pose some unexpected problems for students with allergies, university spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said.

According to Student Health Services, “someone with an evergreen allergy could have a reaction if they are near a tree in a room” Reitz said.

However, Student Health Services hasn’t seen any patients with “evergreen-related concerns.”

Students can still purchase a Christmas tree at the Phillip E. Austin building from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 10. The trees are available in one-gallon and two-gallon pots, selling for $20 and $30, respectively. The Horticulture Club will be selling the trees until they sell out, Jablonowski said.

Rebecca Kaufman is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at rebecca.kaufman@uconn.edu.