NC Christmas Tree Association

1997 Christmas Tree sales in North Carolina totaled 3.7 million trees, with a reported value of 86 million dollars. North Carolina produces over 12% of the real Christmas trees in the United States. North Carolina has over 1,600 Christmas Tree growers, with a total of 34.2 million trees growing on 23,530 acres. The North Carolina Christmas Tree industry in ranked second in the nation, behind Oregon in the number of trees harvested; and first in the nation in terms of dollars made per tree. North Carolina Fraser Fir has been judged the Nations Best through the National Christmas Tree Association and chosen for the White House eight times (more than any other species)….1971, 1973, 1982, 1985, 1990, 1993, 1995 and 1997. The 1998 “People’s Tree” placed outside the US Capitol will be a North Carolina Fraser Fir. 96% of the Christmas Trees produced in North Carolina are Fraser fir. Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, Watauga, and Jackson counties produce 88% of North Carolina’s Christmas trees. It takes as long as 12 years to grow a tree to an average retail height of 6-7 ft. The average 6-7 foot Fraser fir Christmas tree has been visited by the grower more than 100 times during it’s life.