Real Christmas trees are an all-American product, grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong.

Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and metals.

The top selling Christmas trees are: balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, and white pine.

For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place.

There are about 1 million acres in production for growing Christmas trees. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people.

There are about 15,000 Christmas tree growers in the U.S., and over 100,000 people employed full or part time in the industry.

There are approximately 5,000 choose and cut farms in the U.S.

It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 feet), but the average growing time in 7 years.
The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, California, and North Carolina...and Virginia is gaining fast!

The Virginia Christmas Tree Industry

The Virginia Christmas tree industry is made up of thousands of growers. The size of any Christmas tree farm ranges from less than an acre to as large as several hundred acres, with a few growers having a thousand or more acres. It is estimated that there are over seven million Christmas trees growing in Virginia today. Every year approximately one to two million Virginia grown trees are sold with a wholesale value of 20-40 million dollars. All of these trees were planted by Christmas tree farmers and are replanted yearly. The Christmas tree industry may top $50 million dollars when the value of foliage greens that make wreaths and garland is added.

Most Christmas tree growers do not rely on these sales as their sole source of income. Christmas tree farmers tend to have varied backgrounds. They may have prior farming experience, but are just as likely to be a doctor, an accountant, a truck driver, a civil engineer or a nurse. It seems that there is some indefinable appeal that motivates people to become Christmas tree farmers.

Virginia Christmas tree growers are fortunate in that most species sold as Christmas trees can be grown in some region of the state thus allowing the consumer a wide variety of a fresh Virginia grown product.

Virginia grown Christmas trees can be found at choose and cut farms, retail lots and chain stores. The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in cooperation with the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association issues a Christmas tree choose-and-cut guide to help the consumer locate these farms. Additional information on the location of wholesale and retail sales, species characteristics, and tree care can be found elsewhere on this website.A visit to a choose and cut tree farm assures the consumer of the freshest tree possible as well as an opportunity for a memorable Christmas experience. Christmas trees purchased at retail lots and chain stores may be Virginia grown, but just as likely come from out-of-state. Retail lots displaying the Virginia Finest logo is your best choice for a Virginia grown tree.