What I do is take a cement Cinder Block, put six pieces of fresh bamboo (leaves and all) on each side of the Cinder block sticking out at an angle, and then add cement to fill in the hole and hold the bamboo in.

What I end up with is a canopy of bamboo ten feet high and twenty feet long. When you throw it in the water it floats down to the bottom like a parachute and stands up perfectly. Bamboo will last much longer than Christmas Trees.