Beginning Thanksgiving weekend and continuing through Christmas Eve people across the country will be selecting and decorating Christmas trees to display at their homes and offices.

Deciding whether to choose an artificial or real Christmas tree is a hotly debated topic each holiday season. This year that debate is louder than ever thanks to the growing popularity of "green living."

There are approximately 30 million real Christmas trees sold in this country each year, according to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), a professional trade organization founded in 1955.

"Real Christmas trees are actually grown as crops, just like corn or wheat, and raised on a farm. Once they are harvested, up to 3 seedlings are planted to replace harvested trees," said Rick Dungey, Public Relations Manager for the NCTA.

The top Christmas tree producing states are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington. The list of top selling Christmas Trees includes balsam fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine and white pine.

One of the most talked about Christmas trees each year is the one displayed in the White House Blue Room. A beautiful Fraser fir from Creston, N.C., was handpicked for 2008 by a team of White House advisers on Oct. 21, 2008. The tree will be cut in late November and sent to Washington, D.C.

Artificial trees can be bought in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and will sometimes include fiber optic lighting built in. One popular trend in recent years has been the "upside down" artificial tree, but the thing that draws many consumers to fake trees is the ease of care - plastic trees don't shed needles or need to be watered.

The number one producer of artificial Christmas trees is China, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. The argument in favor of artificial trees is that they last for many years, but the majority of artificial Christmas trees are made with PVC which is a non-recyclable substance. Real trees, on the other hand, are a renewable resource that can be recycled at more than 4,000 programs throughout the United States.

Whether you choose a real tree or an artificial one, a major concern every year is fire safety. "Overloaded electrical outlets and faulty wires are the most common causes of holiday fires in residences - these are just as likely to affect artificial trees as real trees," Dungey said.

If you choose a real Christmas tree, be sure to recycle or replant it at the end of the holiday season. For more information go here. <http://search.earth911.com/?what=tree&where=91505&max_distance=25&goRecycle=>