There is surely no shortage of Christmas trees in Oregon.
Oregon is the largest producer of Christmas trees in the United States, harvesting around 4 million trees annually, according to World Population Review. That equals out to be about 33% of the total amount of Christmas trees produced in the country each year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
That number equates to around $120 million annually, per the source.
THE WORLD’S TALLEST SNOWMAN, MEASURING 122 FEET, BUILT BY RESIDENTS IN BETHEL, MAINE
In Oregon lies Holiday Tree Farms, which is widely regarded as the largest Christmas tree producer in the world. The farm is one of 15,000 growing Christmas trees throughout the United States, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
Holiday Tree Farms was established in 1955 by the Schudel family.
The farm spans over a whopping 8,500 acres, with 1 million trees harvested each year from the location, according to the Holiday Tree Farms website.
During harvest season, the farm’s 12 separate processing yards employ around 600 employees, per the website.
25-30M CHRISTMAS TREES ARE CUT DOWN ANNUALLY, DISPLAYED IN HOMES, BUSINESSES ACROSS THE US
The farm is home to several different types of trees commonly displayed in homes during the holiday season, but the most popular is their Douglas fir.
The Douglas firs grown at Holiday Tree Farms are not just sold to Oregon residences; they are also shipped out around the United States and exported outside the country to Mexico, Guam, Asia, Central America and more, according to the farm’s website.
Holiday Tree Farms also grows Grand fir, Noble fir and Nordmann fir trees, according to their website.
Behind Oregon in terms of tree production is North Carolina. The state is not too far behind Oregon, producing about 4 million trees each year and bringing in about $86 million, according to World Population Review.
THE WORLD’S OLDEST DOUGLAS FIR TREES HAVE LIVED OVER 1,000 YEARS
As a whole, there are about 25 to 30 million real Christmas trees sold in the United States annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, with about 350 million growing around the country.
The process of growing a Christmas tree is no small order. For an average sized tree of about six to seven feet, the average growth time is seven years, but it could take upwards of 15 years to grow, according to the source.
Every spring, farmers around the country place one to three seedlings in place of every single tree that was harvested during the fall for the holidays, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
From there, the slow growing process of the freshly planted trees begins.
