Where do Christmas Trees Come From?

Christmas tree food motifs abound this time of the year. From cookies to fruits and vegetables, the Christmas tree shape will delight all. But where do real Christmas trees come from?

Christmas trees are a very lucrative venture each year. Just in America, it is a multi-billion-dollar juggernaut for the economy. They generally retail for $75 a pop, these trees make up a $2B+-per-year business. 98% of all real Christmas trees on the market come from tree farms.

It sucks cleaning tree needles from your trunk or your home. Nothing beats the fresh smell of a Christmas tree. Right? Don’t forget compost day in January when you have to chuck it out on a snow mound. Damn city forgot to pick it up again. The tree got snow-covered till Spring. More needles on the grass. The things we do for the economy.

Christmas trees are fun to look at but the underbelly of that beauty is fire. They cause havoc for firemen each year. They cause millions in damage each year.

• Between 2014-2018, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 160 home fires that started with Christmas trees per year. These fires caused an average of two deaths, 14 injuries, and $10 million in direct property damage annually.
• Electrical distribution or lighting equipment was involved in almost half (45%) of home Christmas tree fires.
• More than one-fifth (22%) of the Christmas tree fires, some type of heat source, such as a candle or equipment, was too close to the tree.
• Fifteen percent of Christmas tree fires were intentional. 
• Roughly three-quarters of Christmas tree fires occurred in December or January.
• More than two of every five (42%) home Christmas tree fires started in the living room. (source)

Fun Fact: In Oregon, Christmas trees outnumber people 12 to 1.