Tips for Buying a Real Christmas Tree

We have all been through a lot in 2020—no need to list it all here—the holidays ahead offer a welcome opportunity to enjoy and celebrate. After relishing a wonderful Thanksgiving most families will begin to focus on Christmas.

Now comes the big decision; do you want to create great family Christmas memories?  We recommend having a fun time picking out a real Christmas tree.  Choosing a real Christmas tree is more than a special time for your family, your choice of a farm-grown Christmas tree is better for the environment and supports local farmers.

We anticipate many families will turn to the beauty and tradition of a farm-grown tree in 2020. Why do we think that? Garden centers had record sales in 2020 and are telling us they are expecting and are preparing for a very large Christmas season. Pumpkin farms, u-pick berry farms and orchards have told us they experienced record numbers of visitors from families seeking outdoor activities during the pandemic. And, our NCTA members are receiving unprecedented levels of early outreach from consumers wanting to know when they will be open for families to come select their tree. It is clear families want to have fun and memorable outdoor experiences as a break from the challenges of coronavirus.

Why a real Christmas tree? They are a product of nature grown on farms. After Christmas is over, they are fully recyclable and biodegradable. Whereas, artificial trees have three times the impact on climate change and resource depletion than real trees. After they are thrown away, artificial trees sit in landfills for years1. While they are growing, real Christmas trees convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, reduce erosion and provide habitat for many animals.  Because real Christmas trees are a crop grown by farmers, after a tree is harvested a new one is planted in its place to be harvested in the future for people to enjoy as a planned crop production cycle.

So, what will your choice be? Christmas tree farms and tree lots have been busy preparing for the season using NCTA's COVID-19 Best Practice recommendations to make shopping for a real Christmas tree as safe as they can. We highly recommend that you gather your family, go pick out the perfect real tree and enjoy the beauty, wonderful smell and tradition of a real tree in your home this season. Christmas tree growers have worked for years to have plenty of trees ready for you this year.  

Know Your Sources

The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is the national trade association representing the farm-grown Christmas tree industry. NCTA represents hundreds of active member farms, 38 state and regional associations, and more than 4,000 affiliated businesses that grow and sell Christmas trees or provide related supplies and services. The NCTA represents the Real Christmas Tree community with one voice to protect and advocate on the industry's behalf.

Established in 2015, the Christmas Tree Promotion Board (CTPB) is a national research and promotion program whose mission is to share the benefits of fresh Christmas trees with consumers through promotion and public relations, while engaging in research to better serve our customers and growers. The USDA provides oversight of the CTPB to ensure transparency and accuracy in its communications. This press release was developed and distributed by the CTPB.

The American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) is a 501(c)(3) corporation run by CEO Thomas Harman2. Harman is the founder of Balsam Hill, a seller of artificial Christmas trees.3 The majority of artificial Christmas trees are made overseas.