In Gloria Houston’s children’s classic The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, an Appalachian family must provide the community’s Christmas tree as is the custom. Set in 1918, Ruthie and her father pick out the perfect balsam on the slopes of Grandfather Mountain. In the meantime, he is called to serve in World War I, which causes great hardship for her family, and Ruthie is chosen to play the Christmas angel. It’s a story of tradition, sacrifice, resilience, and hope. And it's a story that sounds familiar. Yes, indeed, this is a year for the perfect Christmas tree. 

Christmas Tree History 

The tradition of bringing evergreen branches and boughs inside spans to ancient peoples. Pines and firs reminded people that the sun would once again return, crops would be growing in the fields, and fruits bountiful on trees.  

It is believed that Martin Luther, a Catholic priest whose actions led to the Protestant Reformation, began the practice of a lighted Christmas tree. He was fascinated by the stars twinkling through the boughs of evergreen trees in the forest. Luther recreated the scene in the main room of his house by putting up a tree and wiring candles to its branches.   

The Christmas Tree came to America in mid-1800s. When Queen Victoria was sketched beside a decorated tree, not only did the people of the United Kingdom embrace the tradition but the elites of the East Coast of the United States began to favor having a tree at Christmastime. There were some differences though. In Europe, the tree was tabletop height, while people in the United States preferred a floor-to-ceiling tree.  

Where Do Christmas Trees Come From? 

Christmas trees as we know them today are a recent phenomenon. While the first Christmas tree marketplace was held in 1851 in New York City, trees were not cultivated as a crop until the turn of the 20th century. Before the first patch of planted trees were harvested in 1908 by W. V. McGalliard in Mercer County, New Jersey, trees were cut from fence lines and forest edges from Canada and the northeastern United States. And, even when they were cultivated, they didn’t have the preferred conical shape but were less dense.  

Andrew Abraczinskas, an immigrant from Lithuania living in Pennsylvania in 1910, developed a method of shearing his Scotch Pines that created denser growth and the shape of a true conical Christmas tree shape.  

After World War II, Appalachian farmers began looking for produce that could replace formerly profitable crops like cabbage and beans. Some farmers started growing balsam fir, Douglas fir, and Scotch pine, but the “Cadillac of Christmas trees,” the Fraser fir was waiting for its day in the sun.  

Fraser firs, named for John Fraser (a contemporary of Andre Michaux), thrive at elevations above 5,000 and are survivors of the last ice age. Their home climate on the slopes of Roan Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, and Mount Mitchell is like a temperate rainforest receiving more than 80 inches of rain each year. The likelihood that summer days will be shrouded in fog also contributes to one of the Fraser firs’ selling points – long needle retention, which is achieved by closing their stomates, small openings on the backsides of their needles, to reduce moisture loss. This ability is accomplished through their adaptation to a climate that is wet, cold, fog-enrobed, and windy. 

Until the early 1960s, the Fraser fir had little value. Early logging in the Appalachian Mountains ignored these in deference to hardwoods and other pines. The southern balsam fir, as the Fraser fir was often called, was used in reforestation programs and has good success growing in poor soil. 

Prize Winning Trees 

The North Carolina Christmas Tree Association was formed by five Avery County growers in 1959. Then in 1971, a Fraser fir was chosen for the first time to be the official White House Christmas tree. That was only about 16 years after a concerted effort was made to grow and market these trees. 

In 2024, a North Carolina Fraser fir will again be the guest of honor in the Blue Room at the White House. It is the sixteenth time a North Carolina tree has been selected through a contest sponsored by the National Christmas Tree Association and is the second year in a row that a Western North Carolina farm is supplying the tree. This year’s winner is Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in Newland.   

The 25-year-old tree was selected in the field by Dale Haney, the grounds superintendent for the White House, and Blair Downey, White House chief usher, and is 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide.   

According to an article in the Carolina Journal, Sam Cartner, whose family started in the Christmas tree business in 1959, said, “We’re really proud of our trees in North Carolina. It’s not just about Cartner’s. It’s about Fraser Firs raised in Western North Carolina.” 

In the same article, Cartner commented on the number of people that called to make sure the farm was all right in the wake of the devastation caused by Helene. His farm lost about 5,000-6,000 trees under four-feet tall to mudslides; this number represents about 10% of their future harvest in 2028 or 2029. 

The tree will be harvested on November 20 to begin the trek to Washington, D.C. The tree, nicknamed “Tree-mendous,” will be presented to First Lady Jill Biden on Monday, November 25. 

Fresh from the Field 

Having a real, fresh-from-the-field Christmas tree has been a call from tree growers for years, but this year it is taking on a whole new importance. Purchasing a real tree from a choose-and-cut farm or even from a tree lot in your local area will help growers in Western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and Southwest Virginia recover from the effects of Helene. A “trip up the mountain” will be even more impactful when you stay at a local hotel or rental, eat at a local restaurant, and shop at local stores.  

There are many other reasons to choose a real tree as your family’s holiday centerpiece: 

• Real trees make a local economic impact 
• They absorb carbon dioxide and release fresh oxygen 
• Real trees support wildlife like songbirds, turkeys, quail, and rabbits 
• They are biodegradable and recyclable as mulch, wind and water barriers on beaches, and feeding areas for fish when sunk in ponds 

Start a new tradition - the best way to know you have the freshest tree possible is to find it yourself. And the experience of "the hunt" makes many memories that are sure to be told and re-told for Christmases to come. Many choose and cut farms offer much more than just the opportunity to cut your tree; they have roping, wreaths, and some have hayrides, hot chocolate, and perhaps a visit with a jolly old elf from the North Pole. Plan to make your trip to the fields early and call ahead to verify hours of operation, availability of trees, etc. Many farms are sold out of their supply of trees by, or sometimes before, Thanksgiving. 

These listings will make it easier to find a tree grower near you.   

NORTH CAROLINA 

North Carolina Christmas Tree Growers Association Search for Trees

Watauga County Christmas Tree Growers Association Choose and Cut Farms  
Avery County Choose & Cut Farms 
Haywood County Choose & Cut Farms

SOUTH CAROLINA 

South Carolina Christmas Tree Farms   

TENNESSEE 

Tennessee Cut-Your-Own Christmas Tree Farms 

VIRGINIA 

Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association  

TAKING CARE OF YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE 

When you get your tree home, store it in a cool garage or shady place until you're ready to decorate it. 

Before carrying it into the house, unbind all the branches and let them settle into place. Pick it up just a bit and drop it on its trunk to help dislodge any dead needles.  

Make a fresh straight cut across the trunk. This will help it be ready to "drink" from its water reservoir. 

If possible, keep the room where the tree is a little cooler. 

Placement is important. Keep the tree away from fireplaces, so it won't dry out as quickly.  

Check the water in your tree daily. It will "drink" more than you think. Keep the reservoir in the tree stand filled with clean water. 

Enjoy! 

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Prize-winning tree photo is courtesy of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association. Pictured, left to right, Dale Haney (superintendent of grounds at the White House), David Cartner, Sam Cartner, Ronnie Beam (Cartner Farms manager), Jim Cartner, and Blair Downey (White House chief usher).