▲ In the Jamaican market there is also a sale of trees; It is not recommended to get it already cut.Photo Cristina Rodríguez
Alexia Villasenor
La Jornada Newspaper
Monday, December 8, 2025, p. 13
Aline, who is 11 years old, knows that by cutting a Christmas tree in one of the authorized forests she helps the well-being of the environment, of which she feels a part, because by doing so, as she has seen during the tours she has taken in recent years with her family, a new one will sprout from the trunk that, added to those planted by the producers after each harvest, will contribute not only to the Christmas season, but above all to forest conservation and the generation of jobs in rural communities by promoting ecotourism. crafts and local gastronomy.
This year, after walking through several sections of a forest in Amecameca de Juárez, in the state of Mexico, he found the “one” among the “many” that there were. It was a Douglas “not so tall, but chubby.” After helping her dad cut it, put the net on it and tie it to his car, she stopped by the traveling craft market to choose the spheres and decorations she would put on it, she jumped on the zip line and walked her dogs along the permitted paths.
According to the National Forestry Commission (Conafor), buying a natural Christmas tree generates environmental, social and economic benefits, as it contributes to carbon capture, improves soil and water, generates direct income for nearby producers and businesses and involves families in sustainable activities.
He indicated that commercial Christmas tree forest plantations are presented as an alternative to produce those demanded by the national market. There is, he stated, a continuous and sustainable use of the forest resource, because the moment a tree is cut, in the following rainy season, another is planted or the sprouts are used to reproduce a new one.
Mexico has been a producer of these plantations for more than 40 years. According to data from the network of Mexican Christmas tree producers, a Conafor platform, the main cultivated species are Douglas fir, fir, ayacahuite, cypress and false cypress. During 2025, 63,658 pieces were produced.
Prices and tips to care for it
Among the producing entities are the state of Mexico, Michoacán, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Mexico City and Morelos. The costs per tree are between 1,500 and 2,500 pesos, depending on the size and the subsidy that producers receive.
The experience of cutting down a tree goes beyond choosing one, since producers also provide services for camping, picnics, ecotourism, cabin rentals, nurseries or traditional food, which depend on the type of land and space in which they are located.
Another way to acquire a natural tree is through imported ones that arrive from Canada, which must be verified by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency to prevent the entry of pests. Until the cut on November 21, 223,778 trees were registered, with no risks found.
According to one of the producers, one of the disadvantages of buying a tree already cut is that when it is placed on a wooden cross base, its life is shorter and it will dry out soon, which is why he recommends that it be placed on a cross with water so that the trunk continues absorbing the liquid and prolongs its life.
