Statistically Speaking: Real vs. Fake Christmas Trees

In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt nixed a Christmas tree for the White House. "It's not good to cut down trees for mere decoration," he claimed. "We must set a good example for the people of America." Was President Roosevelt right? Should today's conservationists take a page out of his book and forgo the tree?!

A lot of ink and pixels these days are devoted to Christmas trees. Which is the best to buy -- artificial or real -- and why? Here are some numbers to aid your decision.

No Tree

Percent of U.S. households that had no tree in 2002: ~32% (source)

Fake Trees

Percent of U.S. households that had a fake tree in 2002: ~48% (source)

How many plastic Christmas trees were imported from China in 2006: 9.8 million (source)

Approximate number of U.S. households with plastic Christmas trees containing PVC: 50 million (source)

Approximate number of plastic trees in U.S. households with danger of lead exposure (due to aging): 20 million (source)

Real Trees

Percent of U.S. households that had a real tree in 2002: ~21% (source)

Approximate number of real Christmas trees purchased in 2007: 31.3 million (source)

Percentage of real Christmas trees grown on farms versus other lands: 98% (source)

Number of pesticides used in tree farming (including the hormone disrupter atrazine and the fumigant methyl bromide): 40 (source: Sierra)

Percent change in use of pesticides in growing Christmas trees in North Carolina over the past decade: -50% (source)

Rate of nitrogen fertilizer application to Christmas tree farms in Michigan as compared to corn: 1.5 to 3.5 times higher (source)

A Few 'Natural' Stats to Mull Over

How many synthetic pesticides are used in organic Christmas trees: 0

How much lead-tainted PVC is used in organic Christmas trees: 0

Number of states where USDA organic Christmas trees are sold: 20 (source)

Number of states where Christmas trees are sustainably grown (without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers): 47 (source)

Oh, yeah, and the good thing about an organic tree is that you can recycle it. To find where to recycle your tree near you, check out earth911.org. So, what kind of tree are you getting?

Sources

Certified Naturally Grown - www.naturallygrown.org

"Christmas Trees and More," University of Illinois Extension - www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees/facts.cfm

Christmas Tree Production and the Environment - www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/programs/xmas/environment/pesticides.html

Ronnie Levin, et al. "Lead Exposures in U.S. Children, 2008: Implications for Prevention," Environmental Health Perspectives, 0091-6765 Oct 2008, v116 i10, p1285(9) - www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2569084

R.P. Maas, et al. "Artificial Christmas Trees: How Real Are the Lead Exposure Risks?" Journal of Environmental Health, 2004 Dec;67(5):20-4, 32 - www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15628192

McClimans Family Christmas Tree Farm - www.mcclimanschristmas.com/html/our_trees.html

National Christmas Tree Association - www.christmastree.org/statistics_consumer.cfm

Anne Raver, "How Green Can A Christmas Tree Be?" New York Times, Dec 4, 2008 - www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/garden/04garden.html

David Rothstein, "Christmas Tree Plantation: Effects of Fertilization on Tree Performance and Nitrogen Leaching," Forest Science, Volume 51, Number 2, April 2005 , pp. 175-184(10) - saf.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/content/saf/fs/2005/00000051/00000002/art00009

Dashka Slater, "The Hidden Life of the Holidays," Sierra, Nov./Dec. 2002, Vol. 87 Issue 6, p34.

University of Illinois Extension - www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/trees/facts.cfm

"Top 30 Imported Products from China based on Total Value," U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census - ia.ita.doc.gov/trcs/monitoring/china/imports/output/china10digit_9505_yty1.html