THE traditional Christmas tree has a rival – and it could solve the problem of pets repeatedly knocking down the tinsel and the baubles.

For staff at Hereford's Wyevale Garden Centre announced this week that the cactus is the hottest selling plant of the year – and giving the humble evergreen a run for its money.

Whilst the desert dwelling plant isn’t the first thing that the festive season calls to mind, it has become a firm favourite across all age groups.

With cactus sales up by 50% across all Wyevale Garden Centre stores, staff at the Kings Acre headquarters say prickles are becoming almost as popular as pines.

“People love cacti – they’re one of our bestsellers,” said Angela Turnball, a sales assistant at Wyevale.

“They’re easy to keep in your house and are very on trend nowadays as people want something low maintenance.”

Prices range from the smallest ‘starter’ cactus at £2.50 to £120 for the largest size, which stands at approximately 20 inches.

Not all local businesses have noticed such a radical spike in their festive trends. Andy Jones, a butcher at Neil Powell, said that Turkey still remains the Christmas delicacy of choice, closely followed by Hereford beef.

“Turkey will never go out of favour," he said from the shop in Widemarsh Street in Hereford.

"However, sales of traditional Turkey have slowed up.

"We’ve seen a big increase in Boneless Turkey this year. It’s easier to carve, there’s no mess or waste and it also makes a great centerpiece.”

The children’s market remains dominated by Lego sales, with ‘Superhero’, ‘Friends’, and ‘Harry Potter’ proving the most popular themes in this year’s run up to Christmas.

And – despite all the latest fads, Adrian Evans, from Hereford Model Centre, has noticed a trend towards more traditional toy brands such as Sylvanian families and Brio wooden toys.

Scaletrix, a family favourite across all generations, also remains a top-choice for 2018.

“Adults who grew up playing with these brands can identify with their children who play them now," he added.

"I think there’s a deep psychological bond there.”

For those who prefer to take life at a slower pace, Printer & Tailor on Widemarsh Street has seen a trend for Hygge inspired gifts, including over sized hot water bottles, luxurious furry scarves and Log Cabin Incense Burners.

One of the retailers more unusual popular gifts for this year are their range of exotic spice tins.

Handmade by a father and son in Birmingham, each tin is individually wrapped in a silk sari and contains nine fragrant spices.

“They’ve been amazingly popular gifts,” said sales assistant Simon Hamilton.

The trend for local luxury continues at Phillip Morris & Son, which has seen new season Fairfax and Favor boots become their most popular item for Christmas.