Where does the balsam fir boughs used to make holiday wreaths and garland come from?
The specialty forest products industry uses many of the natural resources found in Minnesota’s forests, such as pinecones, mosses and birch twigs, to make everything from decorative items to medicinal and herbal products. One of the most important specialty products is the balsam bough. Approximately 4,000 tons of boughs are harvested annually from Minnesota forests, and each ton makes roughly 400 wreaths. However, the number of holiday wreaths and garland made per ton varies depending on the size of each item. Most of the boughs used by Minnesota’s special forest products industry are harvested from public and private lands across the northern part of the state. Itasca, St. Louis, Aitkin and Cass counties support more than half of the total bough harvest in Minnesota. The state’s balsam bough industry has annual retail sales topping $20 million.
