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Christmas Tree Facts
- As a Christmas tree producing state Indiana ranks 11th in the nation with 200 tree farms producing almost 200,000 harvestable trees per year according to the UDSA 2007 Ag Census.
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There are approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year.
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There are close to 350 million Real Christmas Trees on Christmas Tree farms in the U.S. alone, all planted by farmers.
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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.
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There are more than 4,000 local Christmas Tree recycling programs throughout the United States.
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For every Real Christmas Tree harvested, 1 to 3 seedlings are planted the following spring.
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There are about 350,000 acres in production for growing Christmas Trees in the U.S.; much of it preserving green space.
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There are close to 15,000 farms growing Christmas Trees in the U.S., and over 100,000 people are employed full or part-time in the industry.
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It can take between 4 and 15 years to grow a tree of typical height (6 - 7 feet), but the average growing time is 7 years.
- Real Trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and possible metal toxins such as lead, cadmium and organo-tins.
Growing Christmas trees is very labor intensive. The trees are shaped by annual pruning every year. This process is called shearing. The grower controls the growth of the tree through shearing to produce a bushy appearance and conical shape.