Darrell Blackwelder

December 3, 2004

     Driving home to visit my parents over the Thanksgiving holidays, I passed by a huge truck load of fraser fir Christmas trees bound for the city. When I was young, Christmas trees were erected only a couple of days before Christmas. I can easily recall my father selecting a scrawny “Charlie Brown” cedar tree from an abandoned field often laced with honeysuckle and maybe a bird’s nest-a tree if there ever was one.

     The Christmas season actually began before Thanksgiving Day as the kick-off day for Christmas trees sales. The live trees we buy today are picture perfect as compared to trees 15 years ago. Constant research and competition for the perfect tree make North Carolina one of the leaders in the Christmas tree industry.

Even with trees of perfection, there is downward trend in live tree sales. Below are a few facts I that may be of interest those in search of perfect tree.

*Historians believe that the Egyptians and Romans used greenery to decorate homes in December. However, most agree that the tradition was started over 400 years ago in Germany.

*By 1900 one in five American families decorated trees during Christmas. By 1930, nearly every home became a part of this tradition.

*North Carolina is second only to Oregon in Christmas tree production supplying 19% of live tree sales in the United States.

*Christmas trees produced in North Carolina are shipped to all 50 states including countries as far away as Japan and Bermuda.

*The North Carolina fraser fir has been chosen as the nations best Christmas tree for the White House 8 times.

*It takes 12 years on the average to grow an average fraser fir, about 8 years to grow a white pine Christmas tree.

*Fraser firs comprise 90% of all Christmas trees grown in North Carolina-50 million trees on 25,000 acres.

*White pine, Scotch pine and Virginia pine are also produced as live Christmas trees in North Carolina and here in Rowan County.

*Fraser firs grow best at elevations above 3000 feet.

*The best way to judge a fresh cut tree is to pinch the needles. They should be soft and aromatic. Shake the tree. If needles fall, go to another tree.

*Trim ¼ to ½ inch off the butt end of trunk into water. Always make a new cut before placing into the stand.

*A typical Christmas tree will consume up to one quart of water a day.

*Those that want a balled and burlaped tree should choose white pine, Norway spruce or Colorado blue spruce. Fraser firs will not thrive here.

*There are over 400 choose and cut Christmas Tree farms in North Carolina including Rowan County.

Christmas tree producers had rain at just the right time for beautiful greenery. The selection is wonderful and the prices reasonable. For more information about Christmas trees in North Carolina, log on the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association website at http://www.ncchristmastrees.com

Darrell Blackwelder is an agricultural agent in charge of horticulture with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. For archived garden columns or other information, visit the Rowan County Master Gardener web site at www.rowanmastergardener.com , e-mail Darrell_Blackwelder@ncsu.edu