A 2-ft white birch twig tree that runs on batteries, so it lights up wherever it is set down instead of being tied to an outlet. The footprint is only 4 in by 4 in and the tree stands 24 in tall, which fits a mantel, a sideboard or a narrow ledge that a full tree would overwhelm, and at 0.4 lb it can be lifted and repositioned with one hand. Twenty-four LED bulbs are strung along the bare branches and give off a warm white glow rather than a cold blue one, the kind of light that reads as soft in a dark room at night. Power comes from 3 AA batteries, not included, and the on and off switch sits on the side of the base where it can be reached without lifting the tree or feeling around underneath. Because there is no cord, nothing has to be hidden or taped down, and the tree can move between rooms during the season. Every branch is bendable, so the silhouette is not fixed at the shape it came out of the carton: branches can be fanned wide, drawn upright or twisted for asymmetry, and they hold the position once set. They are also stiff enough to carry added ornaments, small cards or clips without drooping, so the bare twig look can be dressed up or left plain. The trunk and limbs carry a printed birch bark texture with the same pale, papery mottling as a real birch, which is what keeps a leafless tree from looking like plain plastic sticks. The material is new PVC over a metal and plastic core, chosen because it is odorless out of the box, non-toxic, recyclable, light and durable enough to be packed away and brought back out year after year.