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Christmas Tree Ag Facts


It’s that time of year: Christmas trees, candy canes, bright lights. Christmas tree farmers work hard all year long to produce the most beautiful trees. It’s an unusual kind of agriculture compared to what we see on a daily basis. For instance, you can’t find Christmas tree farms all over the world. It is a very western tradition. Let’s look at some fun facts involving this special type of ag!
  1. You can find Christmas tree farms in North America, the UK, and Australia
  2. Christmas trees are often exported to China, Japan, the Phillipines, and Mexico
  3. Live Christmas trees have been sold in the U.S. since the 1850’s!
  4. There is a National Christmas Tree Association that, along with the USDA keeps records of Christmas tree sales, production, and recycling
  5. President Theodore Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons
Speaking of environment...are Christmas trees really bad for the environment? For those of you who are concerned (and those who want to have a zero waste Christmas) let’s look at some facts!

  1. Christmas tree farms provide habitats for wildlife
  2. Real Christmas trees are a renewable resource, and are recyclable. (P.S. artificial trees can contain non-biodegradable plastic that will last in a landfill forever...but you can search for eco-friendly Christmas trees on Amazon!)
  3. If you are zero waste, read this article on Zero Waste Nerd on how to recycle your tree. I really like #2!
  4. Worried about what happens to the unsold, but already cut, Christmas trees? Read this awesome article from How Stuff Works. Elephants can eat Christmas trees!! Can you think of anything cuter than an elephant eating a little evergreen tree?
  5. Christmas trees can remove dust and pollen from the air, plus I think they smell great!
  6. One acre of Christmas trees (that’s generally about 2-3 housing lots for you urban folks!) provides the daily oxygen requirement of at least 18 people! Talk about fresh air.
Shout out to the top 5 Christmas Tree producing states: Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin (respectively)!!
Be sure to put in the comments what you do with your Christmas tree after Christmas, and tell me your favorite fact!
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