Texas researchers run down the plusses to getting a real tree By Stephen O'Shea, Texas A&M Forest Service The Texas A&M Forest Service is shedding light on the benefits of having a real Christmas tree this year. An average of 20-25 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year, or roughly one tree for every five households, according to Marsha Gray of the Christmas Tree Promotion Board. Nationally, the real Christmas tree industry also employs around 100,000 people. “Christmas trees are grown in all 50 states,” Gray said. “But the top producing regions are centered around Oregon, North Carolina and Michigan.”