Christmas Tree Facts
1. Today around 98% of Real Christmas Trees are grown on farms throughout all 50 states and Canada.
2. The top Christmas Tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
3. Christmas trees are grown on tree farms for a specific agricultural purpose, like corn or wheat.
4. The vast majority of land planted in Christmas trees would otherwise be in pasture or annual field crops, not forest!
5. The farms that grow Christmas Trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies and provide refuge for wildlife while creating scenic green belts. Often, Christmas Trees are grown on soil that doesn't support other crops.
6. There are about 1 million acres in production for growing Christmas trees.
7. Real Christmas trees support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases and emitting fresh oxygen. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.
8. There are about 15,000 Christmas Tree growers in North America, and over 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry.
9. There are approximately 5,000 choose and cut farms in the U.S.
10. It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 - 7 feet) or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7 years.
11. There are approximately 25 - 30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year.
12. Approximately 330,000 Real Christmas Trees are sold via e-commerce or catalogue and shipped mail-order.
13. The top selling Christmas trees are: Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Noble Fir, Scotch Pine, Virginia Pine and White Pine.
14. For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place.
15. Trees that are fresh and kept watered will not readily support combustion.
16. REAL Trees are recyclable. A national survey showed 66% of consumers who selected a Real Christmas Tree said they recycled theirs in community programs. After the Holiday Season, REAL trees can be chipped into mulch, used for bird feeders, brush piles for wildlife habitat, beach & Sand dune stabilization, and fish beds.
17. Most fake trees eventually wind up in landfills.
