The Christmas tree industry in North Carolina continues to depend on Mexican labor to keep alive the tradition of placing natural pine trees in homes for the holiday season.

According to figures compiled by the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association, there are 1,600 tree farms in the state that harvest 5 million pine trees - and plant 50 million - per year on 25,000 acres of land, most of them Fraser pines, the one best-known for its particular fragrance.

It is estimated that more than 27 million U.S. homes will put up a tree during the month of December to brighten the festivities.

After Oregon, North Carolina is the second-biggest producer in the nation of Christmas trees, earning more than $110 million in 2010, according to the state Agriculture Department.