Christmas Trees
The Christmas tree is a central part of holiday décor, and many families love the experience of having a real tree setup in their home during the Christmas season. If you have a real Christmas tree each year, then you might be curious to know how the tree was grown and the steps that were required to prepare the tree before it was setup in your home.
Each year, approximately 25 – 30 million Christmas trees are purchased in the United States. Even though many people are using artificial trees instead of real trees, there are still a large percentage of families in the US who prefer to keep the tradition of having a real tree in their home.
Here are some interesting facts about live Christmas trees and Christmas farms:
Christmas Tree Farms in the United States
There are around 15,000 Christmas tree farms located within the United States, and these farms can be found in all 50 states within the country. This industry employs over 100,000 people throughout the country. The states that produce the most Christmas trees are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Oregon, Michigan, North Carolina, and Washington.
This demand requires that Christmas farms plan in advance to supply the public with the trees that are needed every year. At any given point, there are around 350 million Christmas trees growing on Christmas tree farms within the United States.
Growing Christmas Trees
Depending on the size of the tree, it can take anywhere from 4 – 15 years for the trees to grow. Smaller trees might require as little as 4 years, and these trees are a great size for apartments, condos, and smaller homes.
Larger Christmas trees require a longer growing period, and they could take up to 15 years to reach heights of 6 or 7 feet. The average growing time for trees on the Christmas farms is 7 years.
Common varieties of Christmas trees include: white pine, Virginia pine, Scotch pine, noble fir, Fraser fir, Douglas fir, and balsam fir.
Real Christmas Trees vs. Artificial Trees
There are distinct advantages to having a real Christmas tree instead of an Artificial Christmas tree in your home. Many people agree that the real tree is preferred because of the nice scent that it adds in the room. Also, one of the leading reasons that people stick with real Christmas trees instead of artificial trees is to maintain the tradition of having a real tree in the home. Another advantage to an artificial tree is that the trees can be recycled and they don’t add waste to the landfills.