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Wisconsin Christmas Tree Farms

© Peggy Hoehne

Wisconsin has 16 million acres of timberland, which makes up 45 percent of the state area. Therefore it is not surprising that Wisconsin ranks among the top seven Christmas tree growing states. Of the approximately 35 million trees sold in the US each year, about 30 percent come from the Lake States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

The annual state holiday tree displayed in the State Capitol rotunda throughout the month of December comes from the Brule River State Forest in the Northwest corner of Wisconsin this year. The 2004 theme is the Year of Wisconsin Forestry and the public was invited to contribute ornaments made from paper, wood or natural materials found in a Wisconsin forest.

Well before Thanksgiving Christmas tree growers were preparing for the holidays. On Thursday, October 28, Wisconsin's Alice in Dairyland, Betsy Francoeur, cut the first Christmas tree of the holiday season at Handel's Evergreen Farm in Medford. Growers in the state harvest about than 3.5 million Christmas trees each year, so they start soon after a couple of hard frosts have made the trees dormant. More than two million of those trees go to wholesale Christmas tree buyers around the country.

The harvesting and sale of Christmas trees adds $50 million to Wisconsin's economy each year. Though sales of real trees has fallen off in recent years, Wisconsin is fighting back to make it possible for you to have your very own real Wisconsin Christmas Tree.

The most popular Christmas tree varieties grown in Wisconsin are Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir, Scotch Pine, White Pine and Spruce. Trees native to Wisconsin or closely related trees include White Spruce, Black Hill Spruce, Norway Spruce, and Balsam Fir. For many years Wisconsin produced Christmas trees from natural stands of Balsam, Fir, Spruce, and Pine. Then in 1954 the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association (WCTPA) began. In 1955, the National Council of Tree Growers, now known as the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) was formed.

The year 2004 has been the Associations 50th anniversary. The initial objectives of the group were to do research on cultural management of trees, enforce of licenses and trespass laws, and preparation of newsletters, printed matter and tree tags. They have grown from a handful of Christmas tree growers to over 450 members. The original four-page newsletter has developed into a 48 page journal. They hold both a winter and a summer convention and a field tour.

The first trees harvested each season are those that will be traveling the farthest. Wisconsin growers ship to buyers from all over the country. These buyers come to Wisconsin each year to select quality grown trees to sell in their retail lots.

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