Christmas tree production in Mexico facts for kids

Christmas trees are a big part of holiday traditions around the world. In Mexico, growing these special trees has changed a lot over the years. Before the 1990s, most Christmas trees came from natural forests. But starting in the 1990s, people began to grow them on special farms called plantations and in nurseries. By 2008, Mexico was growing about 800,000 Christmas trees each year. One famous place where they grow these trees is called the Bosque de los arboles de navidad (which means "Christmas trees forest") in Amecameca, State of Mexico.

How Christmas Trees Are Grown in Mexico

For a long time, during the 1970s and 1980s, most Christmas trees in Mexico were taken from natural forests. But things started to change in the 1980s and especially in the 1990s. More and more trees began to be grown on special farms and in nurseries.

Between 1981 and 1989, many trees still came from forests, but farms and nurseries were becoming more common. After 1990, almost all the trees grown in Mexico came from these special farms. In 1986, Mexico grew 800,000 trees, which was a lot for that time! By 1994, about 698,000 trees were grown, mostly on farms.

In 2004, Mexico produced around 600,000 Christmas trees each year. These trees were grown on about 2,000 hectares of land. (A hectare is about the size of two and a half football fields!) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that most of these tree farms were in three states:

• State of Mexico
• Nuevo León
• Veracruz

By 2008 and 2010, Mexico was growing about 800,000 Christmas trees on 500 hectares of land. In 2011, the USDA said that 60% of all Christmas trees grown in Mexico came from the State of Mexico. Other states that also grew Christmas trees included:

• Nuevo León
• Veracruz
• Mexico City
• Puebla
• Jalisco
• Guanajuato

Buying and Selling Christmas Trees

Mexico needs about 1.8 million Christmas trees every year. Since Mexico doesn't grow enough trees to meet this demand, many trees are brought in from other countries. In 2004, most of these imported trees (about 95%) came from the United States. By 2009, the U.S. was still sending almost 1 million trees to Mexico each year. A small number of trees also came from Canada.

Many Mexican tree farmers sell their trees directly from their farms. This means you can go to the farm and pick out your own tree! Some farmers also sell their trees at local markets.

Types of Christmas Trees Grown in Mexico

There are several types of trees that are popular for Christmas in Mexico. A report from 2004 mentioned these main types:

• Mexican White Pine (Pinus Ayacahuite)
• Mexican Pinyon (Pinus Cembroides)
• Sacred Fir (Oyamel - Abies Religiosa)

In 2011, another report added even more types of trees that are grown for Christmas in Mexico:

• Mexican White Pine (Pinus ayacahuite)
• Douglas Fir
• Mexican Pinyon
• Sacred Fir
• Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis)

See also

In Spanish: Producción de árboles de navidad en México para niños Christmas in Mexico