Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff, I'm Lauren Vogel Bomb And this is a classic episode of the podcast. Christmas trees have a shape, but strangely enough, there's no species of conifer that reliably grows in a perfect cone every time. In this episode, we get to the bottom of how Christmas trees are grown and why
we decided on that shape. To begin with, Hey brain Stuff, I'm Lauren Vogel Bomb And, during the final month of the year, or sometimes much sooner, vast numbers of harvested trees begin their migration indoors, where they're festooned with ribbons, garlands, ornaments, and lights. Although these trees are grown in the spirit of Christmas, they don't magically or genetically aspire to a
perfectly peaked shape. After Christmas trees reach a height of about three to four feet that's around one meter, orchard workers start helping the shape along with a process called shearing. The trees do most of their new growth in the spring, after that starts hardening up. In the summer. Workers shear each tree individually with long, sharp knives. The most common types of Christmas tree are Douglas fir, cannon fur, frasier fur,
and several species of spruce or pine. However, out of these six hundred and thirty species of conifers in the world, the majority don't actually grow in a strictly conical shape, so trimming is a crucial task when growing these specimens meant to become Christmas trees. This pruning process must continue every summer until the trees reach a marketable age, which usually takes six to eight years. So why do Christmas
celebrants demand pyramidal trees during the holidays. The notions behind much of the world's traditional Christmas decor originated in Northern Europe and particularly Germany, where enduring images and tails from the mid nineteenth century still ensure that sugar plums are dancing for our heads and that our Christmas trees are conical. In that part of the world. Evergreen trees are pyramid
shaped for good reason. Each needle leaf layer has a better opportunity to gather sunlight for photosynthesis if the sun isn't blocked by wide top layers. This tiered arrangement allows the trees to shake off heavy snowfall, and the wide spaces between branches that the winds whip through without causing
too much damage. Although synthetic Christmas trees don't generally drop needles on the floor or pose a fire damage by drying out, they can't replicate the experience of selecting a real Christmas tree, and for a lot of people, it just isn't Christmas without the piny smell of a freshly cut tree. Millions of consumers agree, according to the National
Christmas Tree Association. In twenty sixteen, a consumer survey revealed that the sales of real Christmas trees outpaced those of fake trees twenty seven point four million to eighteen point six million. And as they grow and await their moment in the spotlight, these real Christmas trees provide homes for wild birds and animals while storing carbon and generating oxygen. And best of all, the trees are a renewable resource. When one is cut, a new one is planted in
its place. Most people who buy real Christmas trees select pre cut versions sold at retail lots, garden centers, and chain stores. Only twenty three percent of those who opt for the real thing go out and cut their own. Today's episode is based on the article how do Christmas trees get their shape on HowStuffWorks dot Com, written by Laureel Dove. Brainstuff is production of I Heart Radio in partnership with houstuffworks dot Com and it is produced by
Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the airheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.