Every third Christmas tree comes from NRW
Around one in three Christmas trees comes from North Rhine-Westphalia. Of the almost 30 million trees bought each year for the festive season, around a third come from NRW, which has the largest growing area for Christmas trees in Germany, reported Forestry Minister Silke Gorißen on Friday shortly before the first Advent. The Nordmann fir is most often found festively decorated in living rooms.
The CDU politician has invited Christmas tree queen Sophia Adlberger, producers from NRW and kindergarten children to the Ministry in Düsseldorf next Monday. The little ones will decorate a six-meter Nordmann fir from the Bergisch region. There are around 600 Christmas tree producers across the country. The most popular Christmas tree is still the Nordmann fir, followed by blue spruce and Nobilis. Cutting trees on your own and without the express permission of the forest owners is illegal, the ministry emphasized. And a fir tree in a pot is not necessarily better for the environment, because if trees are left indoors for weeks, they rarely grow back in the garden. In addition, fertile topsoil with important microorganisms and nutrients is removed along with the root ball. If the Christmas tree bears a PEFC seal, ecological and social aspects have been taken into account in its management.
Customs officials frequently inspect imported Christmas trees to ensure they meet environmental regulations. The Customs Department in NRW has seen an increase in the number of checks due to the high volume of trees coming from there.
Source: www.dpa.com
