WEBVTT - BrainStuff Classics: Why Are Christmas Trees That Shape?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lauren Vogel Bomb And this is a classic episode

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<v Speaker 1>of the podcast. Christmas trees have a shape, but strangely enough,

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<v Speaker 1>there's no species of conifer that reliably grows in a

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<v Speaker 1>perfect cone every time. In this episode, we get to

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<v Speaker 1>the bottom of how Christmas trees are grown and why

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<v Speaker 1>we decided on that shape. To begin with, Hey brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Lauren Vogel Bomb And, during the final month of

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<v Speaker 1>the year, or sometimes much sooner, vast numbers of harvested

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<v Speaker 1>trees begin their migration indoors, where they're festooned with ribbons, garlands, ornaments,

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<v Speaker 1>and lights. Although these trees are grown in the spirit

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<v Speaker 1>of Christmas, they don't magically or genetically aspire to a

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<v Speaker 1>perfectly peaked shape. After Christmas trees reach a height of

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<v Speaker 1>about three to four feet that's around one meter, orchard

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<v Speaker 1>workers start helping the shape along with a process called shearing.

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<v Speaker 1>The trees do most of their new growth in the spring,

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<v Speaker 1>after that starts hardening up. In the summer. Workers shear

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<v Speaker 1>each tree individually with long, sharp knives. The most common

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<v Speaker 1>types of Christmas tree are Douglas fir, cannon fur, frasier fur,

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<v Speaker 1>and several species of spruce or pine. However, out of

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<v Speaker 1>these six hundred and thirty species of conifers in the world,

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<v Speaker 1>the majority don't actually grow in a strictly conical shape,

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<v Speaker 1>so trimming is a crucial task when growing these specimens

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<v Speaker 1>meant to become Christmas trees. This pruning process must continue

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<v Speaker 1>every summer until the trees reach a marketable age, which

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<v Speaker 1>usually takes six to eight years. So why do Christmas

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<v Speaker 1>celebrants demand pyramidal trees during the holidays. The notions behind

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<v Speaker 1>much of the world's traditional Christmas decor originated in Northern

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<v Speaker 1>Europe and particularly Germany, where enduring images and tails from

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<v Speaker 1>the mid nineteenth century still ensure that sugar plums are

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<v Speaker 1>dancing for our heads and that our Christmas trees are conical.

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<v Speaker 1>In that part of the world. Evergreen trees are pyramid

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<v Speaker 1>shaped for good reason. Each needle leaf layer has a

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<v Speaker 1>better opportunity to gather sunlight for photosynthesis if the sun

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<v Speaker 1>isn't blocked by wide top layers. This tiered arrangement allows

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<v Speaker 1>the trees to shake off heavy snowfall, and the wide

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<v Speaker 1>spaces between branches that the winds whip through without causing

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<v Speaker 1>too much damage. Although synthetic Christmas trees don't generally drop

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<v Speaker 1>needles on the floor or pose a fire damage by

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<v Speaker 1>drying out, they can't replicate the experience of selecting a

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<v Speaker 1>real Christmas tree, and for a lot of people, it

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<v Speaker 1>just isn't Christmas without the piny smell of a freshly

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<v Speaker 1>cut tree. Millions of consumers agree, according to the National

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<v Speaker 1>Christmas Tree Association. In twenty sixteen, a consumer survey revealed

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<v Speaker 1>that the sales of real Christmas trees outpaced those of

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<v Speaker 1>fake trees twenty seven point four million to eighteen point

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<v Speaker 1>six million. And as they grow and await their moment

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<v Speaker 1>in the spotlight, these real Christmas trees provide homes for

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<v Speaker 1>wild birds and animals while storing carbon and generating oxygen.

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<v Speaker 1>And best of all, the trees are a renewable resource.

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<v Speaker 1>When one is cut, a new one is planted in

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<v Speaker 1>its place. Most people who buy real Christmas trees select

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<v Speaker 1>pre cut versions sold at retail lots, garden centers, and

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<v Speaker 1>chain stores. Only twenty three percent of those who opt

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<v Speaker 1>for the real thing go out and cut their own.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode is based on the article how do Christmas

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<v Speaker 1>trees get their shape on HowStuffWorks dot Com, written by

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<v Speaker 1>Laureel Dove. Brainstuff is production of I Heart Radio in

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<v Speaker 1>partnership with houstuffworks dot Com and it is produced by

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<v Speaker 1>Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the

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<v Speaker 1>airheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to

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<v Speaker 1>your favorite shows.