Real Christmas trees are an all-American product, grown in all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most artificial trees are manufactured in Korea, Taiwan, or Hong Kong. Real trees are a renewable, recyclable resource. Artificial trees contain non-biodegradable plastics and metals. For every real Christmas tree harvested, 2 to 3 seedlings are planted in its place. There are about 1 million acres in production for growing Christmas trees. Each acre provides the daily oxygen requirements of 18 people. There are about 15,000 Christmas tree growers in the U.S., and over 100,000 people employed full or part time in the industry. There are approximately 5,000 choose and cut farms in the U.S. It can take as many as 15 years to grow a tree of average retail sale height (6 feet), but the average growing time in 7 years. The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, California, and North Carolina. The top selling Christmas trees are: balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraiser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine, and white pine. 1583