Hann's Christmas Farm
Quick Tree Facts
  • There are approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year.
  • There are close to half a billion Real Christmas Trees currently growing on Christmas Tree farms in the U.S. alone, all planted by farmers. Real Christmas Trees are grown on farms
  • North American Real Christmas Trees are grown in all 50 states and Canada. Eighty percent (80%) of artificial trees worldwide are manufactured in China, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
  • Real Trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead.
  • There are more than 4,000 Christmas Tree recycling programs throughout the United States.
  • For every Real Christmas Tree harvested, up to 3 seedlings are planted in its place the following spring.
  • There are about 500,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the U.S.; much of it preserving green space.
  • There are about 21,000 Christmas Tree growers in the U.S., and over 100,000 people employed full or part-time in the industry.
  • It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of typical height (6 - 7 feet) or as little as 4 years, but the average growing time is 7 years.
  • The top Christmas Tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington. (See a complete list of all 50 states ranked by several variables.)
  • The top selling Christmas Trees are: balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine.

    USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) and your local Christmas Tree professional.

    Artificial Trees What You Might Not Know About Fake Christmas Trees


    * Where do they come from?

    Most fake trees (85%) in the U.S. are imported from China. Almost 10 Million fake trees were sold worldwide in 2003. The U.S. Commerce Dept. tracks the Import of Fake Trees

    Most fake trees are made of metals and plastic. * What are the factories like where they're made?

    As noted in the Washington Post, "On the concrete floors of Zhang's Shuitou Company factory, migrant workers, most earning about $100 a month, squat in front of hissing machinery as they melt chips into moldable plastic..."

    Read the full article.

    * What are fake trees made of?

    Most artificial Christmas trees are made of metals and plastics. The plastic material, typically PVC, can be a potential source of hazardous lead. Read a warning about them from the Children's Health Environmental Coalition.

    Lead can sometimes be found in artificial trees. * Why do some artificial trees carry a warning label?

    The potential for lead poisoning is great enough that fake trees made in China are required by California Prop 65 to have a warning label.

     

    Read more about the effects of lead poisoning.

    Learn more about lead in artificial trees.

    View a 2007 report from CNN on the dangers of lead in holiday decorations, such as fake trees and wreaths:

    * Why did the USDA quarantine some artificial trees?

    Some fake trees have a wooden center pole. In 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture placed a quarantine on fake trees from China, which had a potentially harmful beetle in the center pole.

    Learn more about the quarantine.

    * Who decided to make a fake Christmas tree?

    Actually fake trees were invented by a company who made toilet bowl brushes, the Addis Brush Company. Regardless of how far the technology has come, it's still interesting to know the first fake Christmas trees were really just big green toilet bowl brushes. Read the article.

    * Are fake trees really fireproof?

    Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are the most common causes of holiday fires in residences - these are just as likely to affect artificial trees as Real Trees. See below for examples:
    Lights on Christmas Tree Spark KC House Fire
    Giving Tree Fire Damage $1 Million

    In 2004, the Farmington Hills Fire Department in metropolitan Detroit conducted a test of how real and artificial trees react in a house fire. The artificial tree, which was advertised as “flame retardant,” did resist the flames for an amount of time, but then was engulfed in flames and projected significant heat and toxic smoke, containing hydrogen chloride gas and dioxin.

    Below are the before, during and after photos of the artificial tree.

    BEFORE
    Before - Artificial Tree    		 DURING
    During - Artificial Tree    		 AFTER
    After - Artificial Tree

    Compare the above photos to those of the well-cared-for Real Tree, which remained mostly intact, as seen below:
    BEFORE
    Before - Real Tree    		 DURING
    During - Real Tree    		 AFTER
    After - Real Tree
    .

    * Are fake trees better for the environment?

    As mentioned before, most artificial trees are manufactured in China and contain PVC (polyvinyl chloride). In fact, artifical Christmas Trees were recently added to the Center for Health, Environment & Justice's list of household products containing PVC.

    According to the Children's Health Environmental Coalition, the manufacture of PVC creates and disperses dioxins, which include the most toxic man-made chemical known. Released into air or water, dioxins enter the food chain, where they accumulate in fatty tissues of animals and humans, a potential risk for causing cancer, damaging immune functions and impairing children's development.

    This issue is especially concerning due to China's weak enforcement of environmental regulations. Delta Farm Press recently addressed China's environmental crisis in this article.

    This information contained on this page was obtained from the National Christmas Tree Association.

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848 Tipperary Rd. | Oregon,WI 53575 | (608) 835-5464 | hannsfarm@hannschristmasfarm.com
Last update: Friday 28th, 2007, 8:50 AM .
Member National Christmas Tree Association and Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association