'Tis the season to decorate! But before you adorn your tree, discover these fascinating Christmas tree facts that'll add extra cheer to your holiday spirit. Share these fun tidbits with your loved ones as you celebrate the festive season together!
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Annual Sales of Real Christmas Trees in the U.S.
Around 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees are sold each year in the United States, as estimated by the National Christmas Tree Association.
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Fascinating Fact: 6-7ft Christmas Trees Require 4-15 Years to Grow!
These majestic trees, standing tall in our homes, undergo a patient journey, maturing over a span of 4 to 15 years before they reach that perfect height for our festive celebrations.
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As for how many Christmas trees are currently growing on Christmas tree farms in the states, the association claims there's nearly 350 million.
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2012 Harvest: Oregon and North Carolina Yielded 51% of US Christmas Trees
These two states emerged as the primary sources, contributing over half of the country's Christmas tree harvest that year, marking a significant portion of the festive greenery enjoyed across the nation.
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2012 Christmas Tree Harvest: Ashe County, NC, Leads with Nearly 2 Million Trees!
In 2012, Ashe County, located in northwest North Carolina, took the lead in the Christmas tree harvest, contributing close to 2 million trees. This remarkable contribution solidified its position as a major hub for the festive greenery, playing a pivotal role in supplying Christmas trees across the nation.
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White House Christmas Tradition: 14 Trees from North Carolina Since 1961
This enduring tradition of selecting trees from North Carolina for the White House's Blue Room, including the 2023 tree, showcases the state's consistent contribution to this iconic symbol of holiday cheer in the nation's capital.
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Contributions to White House Blue Room: PA (11), WI (8), WA (7) Trees
These states have played significant roles in adorning the White House's Blue Room, with Pennsylvania leading at 11 trees, followed by Wisconsin with 8, and Washington with 7, showcasing their consistent contributions to this cherished holiday tradition.
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The Road to the White House Tree: National Christmas Tree Association's Selection Process
Growers vying for the honor must first secure victories at state or regional levels to qualify for the prestigious contest held by the National Christmas Tree Association, culminating in the selection of the official White House Christmas Tree. This stringent process ensures that only the finest trees grace this iconic symbol of holiday cheer.
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White House Festive Display: 98 Christmas Trees Brighten the Grounds
This year's celebration at the White House boasts an impressive showcase of 98 beautifully adorned Christmas trees, creating a magical and festive atmosphere across the grounds for all to enjoy.
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Guinness Record: Seattle's 221-Foot Christmas Tree, Unpictured but Unforgettable
Although the towering 221-foot tree at Seattle's Northgate Shopping Center in 1950 holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest decorated Christmas tree, its visual legacy eludes us. In its absence, here's a reminiscent photo from the beloved 1965 classic, 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' adding a touch of nostalgia to this record-setting tale.
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Largest artificial Christmas tree!
A 238-foot-tall artificial Christmas tree was on display in Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, in 2016. Organizers said it was the largest artificial Christmas tree in the world, according to CBS News. Although it is stated as 236 feet, Guinness World Records places the tree under the distinction on their website. At the time, CBS also revealed that the tree had a $80,000 price tag.
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In contrast, the tallest tree ever installed at Rockefeller Center stood at a height of 100 feet in 1999.
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The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this year stands eighty feet tall.
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The Norway spruce is the same kind of tree that is always the Rockefeller tree. "The Norway Spruce is great for the scale it can achieve, it can hold the lights on its branches, and it stands there nice and proud as the Tree should," stated in the Rockefeller Center magazine Erik Pauze, head gardener.
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Lastly, it's possible that fake trees are more common than actual ones during Christmas. The American Christmas Tree Association projects that 77% of those intending to display a Christmas tree at home will choose an artificial one based on consumer reports.
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Genuine tree vs an Artificial tree
On the other hand, artificial trees might not be more environmentally beneficial than actual trees. The environmental effects of a genuine tree vs an artificial tree were the subject of a research, according to horticulture expert Bill Lindberg of Michigan State University, who spoke with the New York Times earlier this month. "It showed that if you kept your artificial tree for eight years, that is basically when you start to break even." This suggests that artificial trees might be more environmentally friendly after eight years.
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