That's an evergreen! California family has kept its Christmas tree alive for 34 YEARS after buying the $20 two-foot Scottish pine in 1983

Joe and Gina Mistretta bought their two-foot Scottish pine in Christmas 1983
They decided not to throw away the tree after it didn't look dead following the holiday
The tree has been kept trimmed and watered and is repotted several times a year
The Mistrettas have passed on their tradition to their son, Joe Jr, and his girlfriend, who will reuse their own two-foot tall potted tree
Nearly 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide have been captured by the tree
This is roughly the equivalent to not burning about 1,200 pounds of coal

Published: 05:36 GMT, 24 December 2017 | Updated: 16:00 GMT, 24 December 2017

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One California family has managed to keep its Christmas tree alive for the last 34 years.

When Gina and Joe Mistretta, of Irvine, stepped onto the lot in Christmas 1983, they didn't think anything of the two-foot tall potted Scotch pine they bought for less than $20.

It was so small it could only hold one string of lights but, when the holiday was over, the tree didn't look anywhere near dead.

'It was sad to throw it away,' Gina told The Mercury News.

So the family kept it and, 34 years later, it has become part of a family tradition - and an unintended conservation effort.

One California family has managed to keep its Christmas tree (pictured) alive for the last 34 years. When Gina and Joe Mistretta, of Irvine, stepped onto the lot in Christmas 1983, they didn't think anything of the two-foot tall potted Scotch pine they bought for less than $20

Gina and Joe (pictured) decided to not throw out the tree and instead have kept it every year. Thee tree has been kept trimmed and watered and is re-potted several times a year, although Joe will always saw the trunk so it's short enough to duck under the living room ceiling

But it's a family effort to keep it going and the couple is helped by their children, Michael (left) and Joe Jr (right). The men, 27 and 31, have never known any other tree

Throughout the years, the tree has been kept trimmed and watered and is re-potted several times a year, although Joe will always saw the trunk just a bit so it's short enough to duck under the living room ceiling.

But it's a family effort to keep it going and the couple is helped by their children, Michael and Joe Jr. The men, 27 and 31, have never known any other tree.

Joe Jr has re-potted the tree four times and it even survived a fire. The home's front door had to be doubled in size so the nearly 300-pound tree can be rolled in.

'I just hate coming down the street [after Christmas] and seeing people put out their tree,' Michael, referring to the annual post-holiday garbage dump, told Mercury News.

Keeping the tree year in and year out has also turned into a massive conservation measure.

According to Cal State Fullerton professor John Bock, the director of the school's Center for Sustainability, the tree has captured nearly 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide - the equivalent to not burning about 1,200 pounds of coal.

Joe Jr has also re-potted the tree four times and it even survived a fire. The home's front door had to be doubled in size so the nearly 300-pound tree can be rolled in (Pictured, ornaments on the Mistretta Christmas tree)

Now retired, the Mistrettas have passed on their tradition to their son Joe Jr, who lives with his girlfriend in the Bay Area. They have their own two-foot tall potted tree, which they plan to re-use (Pictured, left to right: Michael, Joe Jr, Gina and Joe)

They've also not released many greenhouse gas emissions by not cutting down a tree each year.

In comparison, a real tree bought each year over 34 years would generate about 374 pounds of carbon dioxide. And a fake tree discarded every five years would use about 277 pounds of carbon dioxide over 34 years, Bock told The Mercury News.

However, the original tree will likely be inherited by their youngest son, Michael. Scotch pines typically live 150 to 300 years, and the Mistrettas plan to keep their tree for as long as they can.

'You'll spread our ashes in it,' Joe joked to The Mercury News.