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| File:Christmas-bauble-on-gold-11289575412UeK.jpg|Red ornamented Christmas bauble | | File:Christmas-bauble-on-gold-11289575412UeK.jpg|Red ornamented Christmas bauble |
| File:Christmas baubles 08 - 02.JPG|Christmas baubles | | File:Christmas baubles 08 - 02.JPG|Christmas baubles |
| </gallery>
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| ==Production==
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| {{See also|Christmas tree production}}
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| [[File:Christmas tree for sale.jpg|thumb|Undecorated Christmas trees for sale]]
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| Each year, 33 to 36 million Christmas trees are produced in America, and 50 to 60 million are produced in Europe. In 1998, there were about 15,000 growers in America (a third of them "choose and cut" farms). In that same year, it was estimated that Americans spent $1.5{{nbsp}}billion on Christmas trees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apsnet.org/education/feature/1225tree/top.htm |title=The Christmas Tree |access-date=8 December 2006 |author=Gary A. Chastagner and D. Michael Benson |year=2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206194229/http://apsnet.org/education/feature/1225tree/top.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=6 December 2006 }}</ref> By 2016 that had climbed to $2.04{{nbsp}}billion for natural trees and a further $1.86{{nbsp}}billion for artificial trees. In Europe, 75 million trees worth €2.4{{nbsp}}billion ($3.2 billion) are harvested annually.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Yanofsky|first1=David|title=What the Christmas tree industrial complex looks like from space|url=https://qz.com/1165085/what-giant-christmas-tree-farms-look-like-from-space/|access-date=24 December 2017|work=[[wikipedia:Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|date=21 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224213558/https://qz.com/1165085/what-giant-christmas-tree-farms-look-like-from-space/|archive-date=24 December 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
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| ===Consumer cost===
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| The average cost of a live cut tree in the United States was $64 in 2015 and this rose to $73 in 2017. The price is expected to hold steady for the next year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Skerritt |first=Jen |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-13/millennials-are-giving-american-tree-growers-a-green-christmas |title=Millennials Are Giving American Tree Growers a Green Christmas |work=[[wikipedia:Bloomberg News|Bloomberg News]] |date=13 November 2018 |access-date=14 November 2018 }}</ref>
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| [[File:F Krüger Vorweihnacht.jpg|thumb|Father and son with their dog collecting a tree in the forest, painting by [[wikipedia:Franz Krüger|Franz Krüger]] (1797–1857)]]
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| [[File:Karl Wenzel Zajicek A Christmas market in Am Hof Vienna 1908.jpg|thumb|Trees on sale at a Christmas market in [[wikipedia:Vienna|Vienna]], painting by [[wikipedia:Carl Wenzel Zajicek|Carl Wenzel Zajicek]] (1908)]]
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| [[File:Balsam Fir Christmas Tree Pruning.jpg|thumb|A grower in [[wikipedia:Waterloo, Nova Scotia|Waterloo, Nova Scotia]], prunes [[wikipedia:Abies balsamea|balsam fir]] trees in October. The tree must experience three frosts to stabilize the needles before cutting.]]
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| ===Natural trees===
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| {{See also|Christmas tree cultivation}}
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| The most commonly used species are [[wikipedia:fir|fir]] (''Abies''), which have the benefit of not shedding their needles when they dry out, as well as retaining good foliage color and scent; but species in other [[wikipedia:genus|genera]] are also used.
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| In northern [[wikipedia:Europe|Europe]] most commonly used are:
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| * [[wikipedia:Picea abies|Norway spruce]] ''Picea abies'' (the original tree, generally the cheapest)
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies alba|Silver fir]] ''Abies alba''
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies nordmanniana|Nordmann fir]] ''Abies nordmanniana''
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| * [[wikipedia:Noble fir|Noble fir]] ''Abies procera''
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| * [[wikipedia:Picea omorika|Serbian spruce]] ''Picea omorika''
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| * [[wikipedia:Scots pine|Scots pine]] ''Pinus sylvestris''
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| * [[wikipedia:Stone pine|Stone pine]] ''Pinus pinea'' (as small table-top trees)
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| * [[wikipedia:Swiss pine|Swiss pine]] ''Pinus cembra''
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| In [[wikipedia:North America|North America]], [[wikipedia:Central America|Central America]], [[wikipedia:South America|South America]] and [[wikipedia:Australia|Australia]] most commonly used are:
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| * [[wikipedia:Douglas fir|Douglas fir]] ''Pseudotsuga menziesii''
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies balsamea|Balsam fir]] ''Abies balsamea''
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| * [[wikipedia:Fraser Fir|Fraser Fir]] ''Abies fraseri''
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies grandis|Grand fir]] ''Abies grandis''
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies guatemalensis|Guatemalan fir]] ''Abies guatemalensis''
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| * [[wikipedia:Noble fir|Noble fir]] ''Abies procera''
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies nordmanniana|Nordmann fir]] ''Abies nordmanniana''
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies magnifica|Red fir]] ''Abies magnifica''
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| * [[wikipedia:Abies concolor|White fir]] ''Abies concolor''
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| * [[wikipedia:Colorado Pinyon|Pinyon pine]] ''Pinus edulis''
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| * [[wikipedia:Jeffrey pine|Jeffrey pine]] ''Pinus jeffreyi''
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| * [[wikipedia:Scots pine|Scots pine]] ''Pinus sylvestris''
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| * [[wikipedia:Stone pine|Stone pine]] ''Pinus pinea'' (as small table-top trees)
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| * [[wikipedia:Araucaria heterophylla|Norfolk Island pine]] ''Araucaria heterophylla''
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| *[[wikipedia:Araucaria angustifolia|Paraná pine]] ''Araucaria angustifolia'' (when young, resembles a [[wikipedia:Pine|Pine tree]])
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| Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as [[wikipedia:Sequoiadendron giganteum|giant sequoia]], [[wikipedia:Leyland cypress|Leyland cypress]], [[wikipedia:Cupressus macrocarpa|Monterey cypress]], and [[wikipedia:Juniperus virginiana|eastern juniper]]. Various types of [[wikipedia:spruce|spruce]] tree are also used for Christmas trees (including the [[wikipedia:Picea pungens|blue spruce]] and, less commonly, the [[wikipedia:Picea glauca|white spruce]]); but spruces begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and spruce needles are often sharp, making decorating uncomfortable. [[wikipedia:Pinus virginiana|Virginia pine]] is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States; however, its winter color is faded. The long-needled [[wikipedia:Pinus strobus|eastern white pine]] is also used there, though it is an unpopular Christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. Norfolk Island pine is sometimes used, particularly in [[wikipedia:Oceania|Oceania]], and in [[wikipedia:Australia|Australia]], some species of the genera ''[[wikipedia:Casuarina|Casuarina]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Allocasuarina|Allocasuarina]]'' are also occasionally used as Christmas trees. But, by far, the most common tree is the Pinus radiata [[wikipedia:Pinus radiata|Monterey pine]]. ''[[wikipedia:Adenanthos sericeus|Adenanthos sericeus]]'' or Albany woolly bush is commonly sold in southern Australia as a potted living Christmas tree. [[wikipedia:Tsuga|Hemlock]] species are generally considered unsuitable as Christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments.
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| Some trees, frequently referred to as "living Christmas trees", are sold live with roots and soil, often from a [[wikipedia:plant nursery|plant nursery]], to be stored at nurseries in planters or planted later outdoors and enjoyed (and often decorated) for years or decades. Others are produced in a container and sometimes as [[wikipedia:topiary|topiary]] for a porch or patio. However, when done improperly, the combination of root loss caused by digging, and the indoor environment of high temperature and low humidity is very detrimental to the tree's health; additionally, the warmth of an indoor climate will bring the tree out of its natural winter [[wikipedia:dormancy|dormancy]], leaving it little protection when put back outside into a cold outdoor climate. Often Christmas trees are a large attraction for living animals, including mice and spiders. Thus, the survival rate of these trees is low.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/seasonal/hgic1751.html |title=Living Christmas Trees |publisher=[[wikipedia:Clemson University|Clemson University]] |access-date=12 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100606222650/https://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/other/seasonal/hgic1751.html |archive-date=6 June 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, when done properly, replanting provides higher survival rates.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.for.msu.edu/extension/ExtDocs/xmastree.htm |title=Christmas tree |publisher=Department of Forestry, [[wikipedia:Michigan State University|Michigan State University]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315150004/http://www.for.msu.edu/extension/ExtDocs/xmastree.htm |archive-date=15 March 2012 }}</ref>
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| European tradition prefers the open aspect of naturally grown, unsheared trees, while in North America (outside western areas where trees are often wild-harvested on public lands)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/newsroom/2004/blm_and_forest_service0.html |title=BLM and Forest Service Christmas tree permits available |publisher=[[wikipedia:Bureau of Land Management|Bureau of Land Management]] |date=30 November 2004 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114174843/http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/newsroom/2004/blm_and_forest_service0.html |archive-date=14 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> there is a preference for close-sheared trees with denser foliage, but less space to hang decorations.
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| In the past, Christmas trees were often harvested from wild forests, but now almost all are commercially grown on [[wikipedia:tree farm|tree farm]]s. Almost all Christmas trees in the United States are grown on Christmas tree farms where they are cut after about ten years of growth and new trees planted. According to the [[wikipedia:United States Department of Agriculture|United States Department of Agriculture]]'s agriculture census for 2007, 21,537 farms were producing conifers for the cut Christmas tree market in America, {{convert|5717.09|km2|acre|0}} were planted in Christmas trees.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Specialty_Crops/speccrop.pdf |title=2007 Census of Agriculture: Specialty Crops (Volume 2, Subject Series, Part 8) |at=Table 1, page 1 |date=November 2009 |publisher=[[wikipedia:United States Department of Agriculture|United States Department of Agriculture]] |access-date=19 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130216135500/http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Specialty_Crops/speccrop.pdf |archive-date=16 February 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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| [[File:Christmas tree farm near New Germany, Nova Scotia, Canada.jpg|upright=4|thumb|center|A Christmas tree farm near [[wikipedia:New Germany, Nova Scotia|New Germany, Nova Scotia]], Canada]]
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| The life cycle of a Christmas tree from the seed to a {{convert|2|m|ft|0|adj=on}} tree takes, depending on species and treatment in cultivation, between eight and twelve years. First, the seed is extracted from cones harvested from older trees. These seeds are then usually grown in nurseries and then sold to Christmas tree farms at an age of three to four years. The remaining development of the tree greatly depends on the climate, soil quality, as well as the cultivation and how the trees are tended by the Christmas tree farmer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weihnachtsbaumversand.de/Wissenswertes:_:35.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071125213649/http://www.weihnachtsbaumversand.de/Wissenswertes%3A_%3A35.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 November 2007 |title=Unsere kleine Baumschule—Wissenswertes |trans-title=Our little nursery: Trivia |language=de |year=2010 |access-date=18 December 2012 }}</ref>
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| ===Artificial trees===
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| {{Main|Artificial Christmas tree}}
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| [[File:Christmas tree in Poland 2004.jpg|thumb|150px|An artificial Christmas tree]]
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| The first artificial Christmas trees were developed in Germany during the 19th century,<ref name="forbes">{{cite book |author=Bruce David Forbes |title=Christmas: A Candid History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ap8unt4cP54C&pg=PA121 |publisher=[[wikipedia:University of California Press|University of California Press]] |year=2007 |pages=121–22 |isbn=978-0-5202-5104-5}}</ref><ref name="hewitt">{{cite book |first=James |last=Hewitt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CXdxIt-ZBFgC&pg=PA34 |title=The Christmas Tree |publisher=Lulu.com |year=2007 |pages=33–36 |isbn=978-1430308201 }}{{self-published source|date=February 2020}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} though earlier examples exist.<ref name="perkins"/> These "trees" were made using goose feathers that were dyed green,<ref name="forbes"/> as one response by Germans to continued [[wikipedia:deforestation|deforestation]].<ref name="hewitt"/> [[wikipedia:Feather Christmas trees|Feather Christmas trees]] ranged widely in size, from a small {{convert|2|in|cm|0|abbr=off|adj=on|order=flip|sp=us}} tree to a large {{convert|98|in|m|abbr=off|adj=on|order=flip|sp=us}} tree sold in department stores during the 1920s.<ref name="silverthorne">{{cite book|first=Elizabeth |last=Silverthorne |title=Christmas in Texas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9G-58ECNgTUC&pg=PA62 |publisher=Texas A&M University Press |year=1994 |page=62 |isbn=978-0-8909-6578-8}}</ref> Often, the tree branches were tipped with artificial red berries which acted as [[wikipedia:candlestick|candle holders]].<ref name="marling">{{cite book |author=Karal Ann Marling |title=Merry Christmas!: Celebrating America's Greatest Holiday |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUc13_ourtYC&pg=PA58 |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2000 |pages=58–62 |isbn=978-0-674-00318-7 }}</ref>
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| Over the years, other styles of artificial Christmas trees have evolved and become popular. In 1930, the U.S.-based Addis Brush Company created the first artificial Christmas tree made from [[wikipedia:brush|brush]] bristles.<ref name="cole">{{cite book |first=Peter |last=Cole |title=Christmas Trees: Fun and Festive Ideas |url=https://archive.org/details/christmastreesfu0000cole_c7m9 |url-access=registration |publisher=Chronicle Books |year=2002 |page=[https://archive.org/details/christmastreesfu0000cole_c7m9/page/23 23] |isbn=978-0-8118-3577-0 }}</ref> Another type of artificial tree is the [[wikipedia:aluminum Christmas tree|aluminum Christmas tree]],<ref name="hewitt"/> first manufactured in [[wikipedia:Chicago|Chicago]] in 1958,<ref name="baltsun">{{cite news |first=Cassandra A. |last=Fortin |url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2008-10-26/news/0810230187_1_trees-aluminum-color |title=It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (1958) |work=[[wikipedia:The Baltimore Sun|The Baltimore Sun]] |date=26 October 2008 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211015818/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2008-10-26/news/0810230187_1_trees-aluminum-color |archive-date=11 December 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> and later in [[wikipedia:Manitowoc, Wisconsin|Manitowoc, Wisconsin]], where the majority of the trees were produced.<ref name="andrews">{{cite book |author=Candice Gaukel Andrews |title=Great Wisconsin Winter Weekends |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OlmGjEU7qU4C&pg=PA178 |publisher=Big Earth Publishing |year=2006 |page=178 |isbn=978-1-9315-9971-9 }}</ref> Most modern artificial Christmas trees are made from plastic recycled from used packaging materials, such as [[wikipedia:polyvinyl chloride|polyvinyl chloride]] (PVC).<ref name="hewitt"/> Approximately 10% of artificial Christmas trees are using virgin suspension PVC resin; despite being plastic most artificial trees are not recyclable or biodegradable.<ref name="livescience">{{cite web |url=http://www.livescience.com/3132-fake-christmas-trees-green.html |title=Fake Christmas Trees Not So Green |first=Jennifer |last=Berry |work=[[wikipedia:LiveScience|LiveScience]] |date=9 December 2008 |access-date=18 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104082038/http://www.livescience.com/3132-fake-christmas-trees-green.html |archive-date=4 January 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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| Other trends have developed in the early 2000s as well. [[wikipedia:Optical fiber|Optical fiber]] Christmas trees come in two major varieties; one resembles a traditional Christmas tree.<ref name="howstuff">{{cite web |first=Katherine |last=Neer |url=http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-tree7.htm |title=How Christmas Trees Work |work=[[wikipedia:howStuffWorks|howStuffWorks]] |date=December 2006 |access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224133748/http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/christmas-tree7.htm |archive-date=24 December 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> One [[wikipedia:Dallas|Dallas]]-based company offers "holographic mylar" trees in many hues.<ref name="perkins">{{cite web |first=Broderick |last=Perkins |url=http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20031212_fauxtree.htm |title=Faux Christmas Tree Crop Yields Special Concerns |work=Realty Times |date=12 December 2003 |access-date=21 December 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908040211/http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20031212_fauxtree.htm |archive-date=8 September 2008 }}</ref> Tree-shaped objects made from such materials as cardboard,<ref name="popmech">{{cite journal |title=Table-top Christmas Tree |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-9oDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA117 |journal=[[wikipedia:Popular Mechanics|Popular Mechanics]] |date=January 1937 |page=117 }}</ref> glass,<ref name="diablo">{{cite web |url=http://www.diabloglassschool.com/hotshopclassdetails/holidaytrees.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120215734/http://www.diabloglassschool.com/hotshopclassdetails/holidaytrees.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 November 2008 |title=Glass Christmas Tree, one-day course listing |publisher=Diablo Glass School |access-date=21 December 2008 }}</ref> ceramic or other materials can be found in use as tabletop decorations. Upside-down artificial Christmas trees became popular for a short time and were originally introduced as a marketing gimmick; they allowed consumers to get closer to ornaments for sale in retail stores and opened up floor space for more products.<ref name="npr">{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5006258 |title=Demand Grows for Upside Down Christmas Tree |format=Audio |work=[[wikipedia:All Things Considered|All Things Considered]] |publisher=[[wikipedia:NPR|NPR]] |date=9 November 2005 |access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218101909/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5006258 |archive-date=18 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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| Artificial trees became increasingly popular during the late 20th century.<ref name="hewitt"/> Users of artificial Christmas trees assert that they are more convenient, and, because they are reusable, much cheaper than their natural alternative.<ref name="hewitt"/> They are also considered much safer<ref>{{cite web |url=http://firstaid.about.com/od/injuriesathome/qt/06_xmastree.htm |title=Christmas Tree Safety |publisher=[[wikipedia:About.com|About.com]] |access-date=20 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107234602/http://firstaid.about.com/od/injuriesathome/qt/06_xmastree.htm |archive-date=7 January 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> as natural trees can be a significant fire hazard. Between 2001 and 2007 artificial Christmas tree sales in the U.S. jumped from 7.3 million to 17.4 million.<ref name="hayes">{{cite news |author=Sharon Caskey Hayes |url=http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9009208 |title=Grower says real Christmas trees are better for environment than artificial ones |work=Kingsport Times-News |location=Kingsport, Tennessee |date=26 November 2008 |access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100627211924/http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9009208 |archive-date=27 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Currently it is estimated that around 58% of Christmas trees used in the United States are artificial while numbers in the United Kingdom are indicated to be around 66%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://christmastreesource.com/|title=Christmas Tree Resource: Your Source On Xmas Decorations|website=Christmas Tree Source|language=en-US|access-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808234749/http://christmastreesource.com/|archive-date=8 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
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| <gallery class="center" heights="150px" caption="Artificial trees">
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| File:Fiber-optic Christmas tree.jpg|A tree with fibre optic lights
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| File:White christmas tree.jpg|White Christmas tree
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| File:Arbol Navidad 02.jpg|Spanish artificial Christmas tree
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| File:Chrismon tree stalbans oviedo fl.jpg|A [[wikipedia:#Chrismon tree|chrismon tree]] (St. Alban's Anglican Cathedral, Oviedo, Florida)
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| File:The Childrens Museum of Indianapolis - Aluminum Christmas tree.jpg|An artificial [[wikipedia:Aluminum Christmas tree|Aluminum Christmas tree]]
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| File:Y Christmas Tree 2.jpg|Artificial tree
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| </gallery> | | </gallery> |
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