There are only 19 days left until Christmas, but who's counting? It is about time to decorate your annual Christmas tree.

Christmas wouldn't seem like Christmas without a Christmas tree -- at least for Americans. Homes, businesses and even cities put up conifer trees for the holidays. Add a bit of snow on the front lawn and some Christmas music and the holiday is really here.

As a child, I was always in awe of the very large trees that would find their way to the spot of honor on Main Street. Everything about it seemed bigger than life in my eyes. It must have required a crane to lift such a big tree into its spot. The lights were colored light bulbs -- the size that fit the light sockets in homes and the balls looked to be a foot in diameter. To me it was amazing and a sign that Santa would certainly be able to find his way to Tooele. No doubt he could see it as a beacon from the sky.

Each year, the National Christmas Tree goes up at the White House in Washington D.C. It is carefully selected and comes from different places each year. This year the Blue Room tree is a Fraser fir from Laurel Springs, N.C.

The custom of Christmas dates back centuries, originating in Germany around 1500. Legends of the gods of the Teutonic tribes tie into the custom. Odin, the thunder god, was believed to live in a sacred oak tree and the people worshiped the tree as his abode. Christianity came to the area, but the people found it difficult to let go of old traditions. A St. Boniface lost patience with the practice and struck the tree with one blow, splitting it into four pieces. A fir tree grew in its place and became a symbol of the triumph of Christianity.

It was not hard to see why Hessian soldiers, and undoubtedly German immigrants as well, brought the Christmas tree custom with them to America -- a land filled with forests.

Today, many people are concerned about the impact cutting Christmas trees has on the environment. To that end, some have opted for an artificial tree. Still, most agree that a real tree is more romantic.

If you are weighing the pros and cons of making an eco-friendly choice, consider the following from the National Christmas Tree Association. Most of the Christmas trees you will find in lots today come from Christmas tree farms. Estimates say that 40 to 45 million trees were planted in 2007 in North America and that 446 million trees are growing on farms. If you put in the trees, nature adds an ecosystem that the trees will support.

In addition, when you finish with the tree, it is 100 percent biodegradable, 100 percent organic and can be recycled as bird feeders or composted.

Artificial trees are man-made, usually outside the United States. They fill landfills as they are neither renewable nor biodegradable and use chemicals in the process of manufacture.

Approximately 30 to 35 million real Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. each year and of those, about 175,000 real trees are sold through catalog or mail-order sales.

Christmas tree farms can be found in every state in the country and in Canada, covering about 500,000 acres of land. The top producers are Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington.

For every tree harvested, up to three seedlings are planted in its place the following spring. It requires up to 15 years to grow a tree to 6 to 7 feet or it can take as little as four years depending on the growing season. On average, growers plan on seven years for trees to reach saleable size.

The most popular Christmas tree varieties are balsam fir, Douglas-fir, Fraser fir, noble fir, Scotch pine, Virginia pine and white pine.

If you opt for a fresh tree, plan ahead. Determine how much room you want it to take before you head to the lot. Those trees don't look as big on the lot as they will in your living room. Pinion pines are notorious for spreading much further than expected and have been known to eat large chunks of living room space.

Choose a tree that is not drying out. The trunk will be sticky with sap. Branches will bend easily without snapping unless we get a really cold spell that actually freezes the branches. It is normal for needles inside the tree to be dry, but those on the edges should be green, flexible and firmly attached. A few dead needles usually drop off when you bounce a fresh tree trunk on the ground a few times, but a tree that "snows" needles is too dry.

The needles on fresh trees will snap when bent, except pine needles, which tend to bend in any case. Look for discolored foliage, musty odor and wrinkled bark as indicators that the tree is not fresh.

When you get the tree home, make a fresh cut to remove about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the trunk. Cut it off flat so the tree will stand upright more easily. Don't panic to get the tree into water immediately. Most species can go six to eight hours after the trunk is cut and will still take up water. If you can't put the tree up right away when you get the tree home, store it in a cool location in a bucket of water.

When you bring it indoors, use a stand that will supply an ample amount of water. In general, the stand should provide a quart of water per inch of diameter of the trunk. Check and add water often so the level does not drop below the base of the tree. The first few days, the tree will take up a great deal of water, so check it often.

Put the tree away from sources of heat like heating vents, fireplaces and direct sunlight. If you can lower the temperature of the room, even just at night, that will lengthen the time the tree will stay fresh.

Check lights for worn or damaged wires before putting them on the tree. Don't overload electrical circuits and turn off the lights when not attended. Do not leave them on when you are away or in bed.

Despite the fact that it seems more fun to put the tree up than to take it down, do not leave the tree in place for too long. When it dries out, take it down and recycle it. Do not burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace as the needles and sap make it a serious danger.

Which tree to choose is a matter of preference. Each variety has its own characteristics.

* Pines are the most durable, long-lasting cut tree with that Christmas tree fragrance so many people love.

Scotch pines are pyramidal shaped with dark, blue-green needles clustered in pairs. Branches are bushy and dense and tree farmers often shear them to force them to be even thicker. They hold their needles particularly well.

Pinion pines, which grow abundantly in this area, are readily available. These are the tree of choice if smell is a top priority. They tend to be rather wide and may take up a large part of the room.

Ponderosa pine, another native, is a favorite in the West. It has long, green needles and is an open tree.

* Fir trees are not quite as durable as pine trees. They are characterized by shorter, flexible needles, a pyramidal shape and an open symmetrical line. That open shape allows for more three-dimensional decorating. They are very popular with those who enjoy trees with shorter, soft needles and branches that accept decorations inside and out.

Douglas firs -- which aren't true firs at all -- are very common to this area both as Christmas trees and as landscape specimens. They sport short, yellow-green to deep green needles that are flexible and soft to the touch. They have very good needle retention. Tree farmers often shear these trees making them more bushy and dense than their woodland counterparts. The branches are soft and flexible, and well-suited to lightweight ornaments.

Balsam firs are open trees with symmetrical tiers and a lovely scent. The needles are short and flat, with green on top and a silvery cast on the bottom.

White firs are common to this area and may be mountain cut, or plantation grown. A noble fir also has an open tendency and stiff branches that will support fairly heavy ornaments.

* Spruces are common to this area, with the Colorado blue spruce a well-known favorite. Spruces are very symmetrical -- the mental model for the Christmas tree drawings of elementary school artists. These trees should not be used as cut trees unless you prefer to put the tree up just a few days before Christmas and take it down shortly after. They lend themselves well as living trees to be carefully acclimated into and out of the house and planted in the landscape.

Among the spruce trees sold in this area, are the Colorado blue spruce, the Englemen spruce and the Norway spruce.

Whatever your Christmas tree choice, choose carefully and enjoy it for the holidays.