Summary: North Carolina is the second largest producer of Christmas trees in the country, producing over 22 percent of the Christmas trees grown in the U.S. By purchasing a fresh, real tree you are helping support North Carolina farmers and the local economy.
- It’s December and that means Christmas is just around the corner AND shoppers are finding plenty of North Carolina grown Christmas trees available in many locations to help families decorate and celebrate the holidays.
- I hope listeners have seen North Carolina trees where they live and are making plans to include a real North Carolina Christmas tree in their holiday décor.
- I love the smell that a fresh tree adds to the house and my grandkids love gathering around our real Christmas tree when we get together as a family. It’s a family tradition I look forward to every year.
- I have seen North Carolina Christmas trees at grocery stores and retail stores, neighborhood sales lots and at our farmers markets. I know that U-Pick farms are open across the state and ready to help you and your family select the perfect tree for your home.
- Driving back and forth from Greensboro to Raleigh, I have also seen many trees on the roofs of cars and in truck beds making the trek from the mountains east. It makes me happy to see people buying trees and supporting our growers.
- Christmas trees are an important commodity in our farm economy. We are the second largest producer of Christmas trees in the country, harvesting over 3 million trees annually.
- Our farmers produce over 22 percent of the real Christmas trees grown in the U.S., with sales exceeding $144 million for trees alone.
- North Carolina is well known for growing the Fraser fir tree, which is referred to as the Cadillac of Christmas trees.
- The Fraser fir represents 96% of all Christmas tree species grown in the state and 21% of all grown in the U.S. so you can see it is an incredibly popular tree.
- Fraser firs are grown in Western North Carolina, which is also home to our top Christmas tree producing counties of Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, Watauga, Jackson and Mitchell.
- But many people may not realize Christmas trees are grown all across the state with other well-known species including the Canaan fir, Nordman fire, Turkish fir, blue spruce, Norway spruce, Eastern red cedar, Leyland cypress, the ‘Carolina Sapphire’ Arizona cypress, white pine and others grown here.
- So, consumers have a lot of choices when it comes to North Carolina Christmas trees and there are no rules to keep you from having more than one real Christmas tree. I checked!
- Christmas trees are one crop that you cannot plant one year and harvest quickly. It takes about 12 years for a tree to reach six to seven feet tall.
- That’s why you see trees of all sizes on a Christmas tree farm. They will have some that are ready this year and others still growing for another season.
- I get asked a lot ‘How can I help our farmers?’ And, the easiest way is to buy local products when you can, including a North Carolina Christmas tree, garland or wreath.
- Our Christmas tree growers will appreciate your support. They are our neighbors and support the communities where they farm.