Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff,
Speaker 1: I'm Lauren Vogel Bomb And this is a classic episode
Speaker 1: of the podcast. Christmas trees have a shape, but strangely enough,
Speaker 1: there's no species of conifer that reliably grows in a
Speaker 1: perfect cone every time. In this episode, we get to
Speaker 1: the bottom of how Christmas trees are grown and why
Speaker 1: we decided on that shape. To begin with, Hey brain Stuff,
Speaker 1: I'm Lauren Vogel Bomb And, during the final month of
Speaker 1: the year, or sometimes much sooner, vast numbers of harvested
Speaker 1: trees begin their migration indoors, where they're festooned with ribbons, garlands, ornaments,
Speaker 1: and lights. Although these trees are grown in the spirit
Speaker 1: of Christmas, they don't magically or genetically aspire to a
Speaker 1: perfectly peaked shape. After Christmas trees reach a height of
Speaker 1: about three to four feet that's around one meter, orchard
Speaker 1: workers start helping the shape along with a process called shearing.
Speaker 1: The trees do most of their new growth in the spring,
Speaker 1: after that starts hardening up. In the summer. Workers shear
Speaker 1: each tree individually with long, sharp knives. The most common
Speaker 1: types of Christmas tree are Douglas fir, cannon fur, frasier fur,
Speaker 1: and several species of spruce or pine. However, out of
Speaker 1: these six hundred and thirty species of conifers in the world,
Speaker 1: the majority don't actually grow in a strictly conical shape,
Speaker 1: so trimming is a crucial task when growing these specimens
Speaker 1: meant to become Christmas trees. This pruning process must continue
Speaker 1: every summer until the trees reach a marketable age, which
Speaker 1: usually takes six to eight years. So why do Christmas
Speaker 1: celebrants demand pyramidal trees during the holidays. The notions behind
Speaker 1: much of the world's traditional Christmas decor originated in Northern
Speaker 1: Europe and particularly Germany, where enduring images and tails from
Speaker 1: the mid nineteenth century still ensure that sugar plums are
Speaker 1: dancing for our heads and that our Christmas trees are conical.
Speaker 1: In that part of the world. Evergreen trees are pyramid
Speaker 1: shaped for good reason. Each needle leaf layer has a
Speaker 1: better opportunity to gather sunlight for photosynthesis if the sun
Speaker 1: isn't blocked by wide top layers. This tiered arrangement allows
Speaker 1: the trees to shake off heavy snowfall, and the wide
Speaker 1: spaces between branches that the winds whip through without causing
Speaker 1: too much damage. Although synthetic Christmas trees don't generally drop
Speaker 1: needles on the floor or pose a fire damage by
Speaker 1: drying out, they can't replicate the experience of selecting a
Speaker 1: real Christmas tree, and for a lot of people, it
Speaker 1: just isn't Christmas without the piny smell of a freshly
Speaker 1: cut tree. Millions of consumers agree, according to the National
Speaker 1: Christmas Tree Association. In twenty sixteen, a consumer survey revealed
Speaker 1: that the sales of real Christmas trees outpaced those of
Speaker 1: fake trees twenty seven point four million to eighteen point
Speaker 1: six million. And as they grow and await their moment
Speaker 1: in the spotlight, these real Christmas trees provide homes for
Speaker 1: wild birds and animals while storing carbon and generating oxygen.
Speaker 1: And best of all, the trees are a renewable resource.
Speaker 1: When one is cut, a new one is planted in
Speaker 1: its place. Most people who buy real Christmas trees select
Speaker 1: pre cut versions sold at retail lots, garden centers, and
Speaker 1: chain stores. Only twenty three percent of those who opt
Speaker 1: for the real thing go out and cut their own.
Speaker 1: Today's episode is based on the article how do Christmas
Speaker 1: trees get their shape on HowStuffWorks dot Com, written by
Speaker 1: Laureel Dove. Brainstuff is production of I Heart Radio in
Speaker 1: partnership with houstuffworks dot Com and it is produced by
Speaker 1: Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the
Speaker 1: airheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to
Speaker 1: your favorite shows.