Real Christmas trees are naturally green as a result of a process called photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is a chemical process that takes place inside a tree’s foliage. Because Christmas trees do not have leaves, it occurs in the needles. During photosynthesis, trees take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and water from the soil--in the presence of sunlight—producing carbohydrates that cause the tree to grow and releasing oxygen and water vapor.

According to Rebecca Montgomery, Assistant Professor of the University of Minnesota’s Department of Forest Services, an acre of Christmas trees can remove about 8,000 pounds of carbon from the atmosphere. This occurs at a faster rate in young trees. Christmas trees are harvested before this rate begins to slow.

Christmas trees are renewable and sustainable. The National Christmas Tree Association estimates that more than 460 million Christmas trees were growing in the United States in 2007. In that same year, growers planted about 43 million trees. For every tree that is cut, 2-3 new ones are planted the following spring. The more trees they sell, the more they will plant. The more they plant, the more carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere, releasing even more oxygen. This process reduces our carbon footprint.