Looking for a Live Christmas Tree?

There is always something special about having a live tree in the home for the holidays. There are approximately 25-30 million Real Christmas Trees sold in the U.S. every year. The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington.

When I lived in Cadillac, MI it was always fun to watch the thousands of Christmas trees bundled and stacked onto trucks to be shipped all over the United States. All year round, workers carefully monitored the growth of each tree, watched for disease, and trimmed wild branches into the traditional tree shape. Some referred to Cadillac as the Tree Capitol, looking around the area and the state of Michigan, it was easy to believe.

Today, Michigan trees are still in demand as the finest pines available to represent the Christmas symbol of everlasting life.

Small towns grow and shape the trees to be cut and sold in the larger cities. These precut trees are sold at large stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart. Some small vacant lots are dotted with pre-cut trees and are sold by small tree farmers or by local charity groups. One can purchase a fine Christmas tree from the Boy Scouts who are raising funds for camp; or a church raising money to support the local food bank.

One year, we were late at purchasing a tree and our funds were low; we stopped at a lot in Clio, MI where trees were being sold by the Boy Scouts. It was late Christmas Eve; the scouts took pity on us and simply gave us a tree. It was a short, fat tree but the gracious hearts of those boys made our holiday delightful and we will never forget their kindness!

For those who seek a little adventure; dressing in layers of clothing and traipsing about among tree fields to find the perfect tree might be just the ticket. When I was growing up, the tradition was to gather multi-generations of our family and go to Klucks Nursery on Van Wormer Road in Saginaw, MI. There we would spend hours searching and then finding our trees. After tying them down in a pickup truck we would drive up to the main house to pay our fee and collect a popcorn ball.

Klucks offers a "recycling" program. After the holidays, bring in the tree you purchased from them and they will take it back. In exchange, they'll give you a seedling pine tree to plant in your yard. For every live Christmas Tree sold, three seedlings are planted the following year.

In later years, we've taken our own kids to Cioleks Tree Farm on Curtis Road in Bridgeport, MI for an adventure. I'll never forget the one season that was so warm, I wore shorts! Other times, we couldn't wait to get back to the warming station so we could huddle around the bonfire and watch the workers shake and bundle our tree.

One can usually purchase Christmas tree stands, bags, or boughs for wreath making as well at the tree farms. When arriving at a farm, ask about specials. Some years, the larger trees will be offered for less money so the farm can prepare the ground for planting new trees the following year. . Other tree farms offer fun activities such as hayrides and an indoor gift shop where apple cider and handmade items can be purchased. If you are satisfied with a farm, tell your friends and give the farm repeat business

In Michigan, find a tree farm close to you visit http://www.pickyourownchristmastree.org.

Or you can visit the National Christmas Tree Association for more information regarding live trees. The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) strives to be one voice representing Christmas Tree Professionals and promoting the use of Real Christmas Trees. This site will help you locate local farms near you as well as give tips on taking care of your live tree. Please visit http://www.christmastree.org/home.cfm.

The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation and FedEx Corp are working together on Trees for Troops. This program was established to provide live Christmas trees to US troops and their families here at home and around the world. Visit http://www.christmasspiritfoundation.org for more information.

For some fun facts regarding real trees and fake trees visit http://www.christmastree.org/faketrees.cfm.