19
Dec
Tis the Season for Family and Friends To Think About Going Organic for Safety Reasons—Christmas Trees in Focus
(Beyond Pesticides, December 19, 2025) While still the exception rather than the norm, a growing movement of Christmas tree farmers across the United States is demonstrating that organically managed systems can also be applied when choosing a tree during this holiday season.
Health and environmental advocates across the country are calling for a transition away from toxic pesticide dependency during the holiday season. Beyond Pesticides maintains a webpage, Christmas Trees and Pesticides, and Center for Biological Diversity and Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a “special review of pesticides used on Christmas trees.” The groups sent a letter on December 4, the day the National Christmas Tree was lit at the White House, specifically citing the need to review the pesticides chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, dimethoate, bifenthrin, chlorothalonil, glyphosate, hexazinone, imidacloprid, simazine, and 2,4-D, among others.
Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States, with Christmas trees grown on Christmas tree farms being brought into homes as part of the celebration. On average, Americans purchase 25 to 30 million Christmas trees annually, according to the National Christmas Tree Association; however, certified organic Christmas trees, which follow the same U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic standards as agricultural crops, make up only 1% of all Christmas tree purchases.
Extension Services on Christmas Tree Pest Management
There are various land grant universities and their extension services across the nation that provide resources on pest management “best practices” (see Daily News here on the failures of IPM to address pest issues), which include toxic pesticide use, for domestic Christmas tree production, including Virginia Tech, Penn State, North Carolina State, and Michigan State. However, there are notable exceptions, including in North Carolina, which provides specific information on organic pest control in Fraser fir Christmas trees, including best practices for organic pest management, cultural controls, organic compatible pesticides, and “special considerations” for specific pest problems.
There are also the agricultural extension schools in Oregon and Washington states, leveraging Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook – 2025 Horticultural, Landscape, and Ornamental Crops: Christmas Tree Plantation Pests Guide (updated in March 2025), which lists organic-compliant materials and interventions for certain pests, including spider mites and common pests like conifer aphids.
In the North Carolina State publication, the institution includes the following Pesticides Labeled for Use in North Carolina Christmas Trees (bolded refers to substances permitted in USDA-certified organic):
- Bifenazate, Imidacloprid, Flupyradifurone, Clofentezine, Esfenvalerate, Abamectin, Azadirachtin, Prodiamine, Spinosad, Flumioxazim, Carbaryl, Tebufenozide, Chlorothalonil, Dimethoate, Diflubenzuron, Mancozeb, Pymetrozine, Spirodiclofen, Thiamethoxam, Fluazifop-P-butyl, Isoxaben, Triclopyr, Oxyfluorfen, Horticultural Oil (Refined petroleum distillate) Phosmet, Pronamide, Chlorpyrifos, Malathion, Spirotetramat, Bifenthrin, Pendimethalin, S-metolachlor, Permethrin, Simazine, Glyphosate, Dinotefuran, Safer’s Insecticidal Soap (Potassium salts of fatty acids), Pyridaben, Hexythiazox, Lambda-cyhalothrin, Clopyralid, Mefenoxam, Oryzalin, Buprofezin, Etoxazole, Hexazinone and Sulfometuron methyl.
In terms of the chemical-intensive status quo, in March 2025, entomologists and forestry professionals from Virginia Tech and Virginia Department of Forestry published a 28-page report, Pests of Forestry and Christmas Trees: Forest Insects, that includes various tables of invasives, insecticide/herbicide recommendations. For example, VA Extension on page one of the report (Table 8.1 Insects and Insecticides) references the insect host adelgids (Balsam Woolly Adelgid) and recommends for insect control the insecticides carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, petrochemical-based “dormant oil,” esfenvalerate, imidacloprid, and permethrin.
Imidacloprid is a primary example of a toxic insecticide that has sweeping adverse effects on ecosystem stability, as documented in independent peer-reviewed literature. This neonicotinoid insecticide has been found to adversely impact pollinators and birds, contamination of waterways, and negative impacts to soil communities, among other effects. The chemical is an endocrine disruptor and linked to a range of chronic effects. (See Daily News category on imidacloprid for additional analysis.)
An Example of the Organic Solution
There are efforts to encourage the expansion of domestic organic Christmas tree production, as evidenced through a two-year funded Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE) project, Expanding Organic, Ecological, Regenerative Christmas Tree Agroforestry in Maine.
In the initial proposal developed by Celebration Tree Farm & Wellness Center, LLC, based in Maine, the project aimed to:
- “Research and compile best practices of regenerative, organic Christmas tree farmers around the country and to connect these farmers together
- We will study what practices are being used and farmer observations about these practices, the benefits in protecting forest health, market perceptions and demand for these practices, and the financial benefits.
- We will develop a guide that will document and share these best practices and promote organic, regenerative agroforestry.
- Provide education on organic regenerative agroforestry practices for Christmas tree farming in Maine
- We will evaluate based on the number of workshops that we deliver (goal is to develop and deliver 3 on-farm workshops, 1 webinar, and 3 conference workshops) and the evaluations that we receive after the workshops.
- Encourage existing Christmas tree farmers, existing farmers, service providers, and forestland owners to embrace organic, regenerative Christmas tree farming practices
- We will evaluate through conducting post-workshop surveys to determine whether participants are interested in pursuing these practices either by transitioning an existing tree farm or starting a new farm
- Reach 150 people in workshops and distribute 300 guides (digital and hardcopy)
- We will measure by tracking the number of people that attend workshops and download the guide.”
“We developed this guide out of a desire to increase the resources and information available to existing tree farmers and aspiring tree farmers about ecological, organic Christmas tree farming,” says Jonah Fertig-Burd and Thomas Prohl, general coordinator and farm coordinator, and authors of the Ecological Christmas Tree Farming Guide. The guide delves into the history of Christmas tree production in the United States, distinctions between conventional and ecological/organic farming, the benefits of maintaining forest canopy for the purposes of carbon sequestration, shade moisture, and biodiversity, various ecological practices, principles of organic pest management, and market opportunities, among other details.
In terms of organic pest management, the authors share their approach in the context of addressing localized outbreaks of the Balsam Gall Midge:
“Our strategy is to allow the trees to grow through their infestation of the gall midge, as it is rarely fatal to the tree, and infestations generally last 2-3 years before the midge moves on to different locations (Maine Forest Service: Maine DACF). Non-organic chemical intervention will never be utilized within our production system as it is unauthorized by our certifier, MOFGA (although there are some OMRI-approved products for Christmas tree production), unnecessary due to forest resilience, and not in line with our regenerative forestry practices. Instead, careful scouting to identify pest infestation & damage, coupled with avoidant harvesting strategies, has proved to be a successful means of insect pest management over the course of the last decade.”
Call to Action
While Celebration Tree Farm’s trees may not have the “perfect, manicured” look of chemically grown trees, families can feel comfortable knowing that they are not exposing loved ones to toxic pesticides and substances while opening up presents on Christmas morning.
For more information on organic certified Christmas trees, see California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) (Search “Christmas Tree”) and Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). While most trees are not certified organic in the lists, The Filtery identifies Christmas tree farms across the United States that have either previously been certified organic or claim they grow without the use of substances not permitted for use under federal organic law. Christmas trees can also be ordered online from growers that can ship them to your home; even though they may not be organic certified, these growers claim to use organic principles in their approach, including Silvertip Tree Farm.
See also Local Harvest for local Christmas tree farmers in your area—farmers are happy to share what inputs they use if you pick up the phone or send an email!
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Sources: Virginia Tech, Penn State, North Carolina State, Michigan State; Center for Biological Diversity; U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Standards; Pacific Northwest Insect Management Handbook – 2025 Horticultural, Landscape, and Ornamental Crops: Christmas Tree Plantation Pests Guide; Ecological Christmas Tree Farming Guide
