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The North Carolina Fraser Fir Christmas tree is the most popular Christmas tree in North America, but did you know they are shipped into every state in the U.S. as well as the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, Japan and other points all over the world. The cool temperatures and large amounts of rainfall in the mountains of North Carolina create the perfect climate for Fraser firs. So, it’s easy to understand how over 50 million Fraser firs are grown in North Carolina, and that the Fraser Fir has been judged the Nation’s best according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
In this episode I sit down with Dr. Jim Hamilton who works for the NC Cooperative Extension Office and serves as the Watauga County Extension Director. He’s an expert on North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry and a fulltime resident in the High Country.
We talk about why Fraser Firs grow naturally only in the southern Appalachian Mountains…and the reasons may surprise you. This is a fun episode because we peek behind the veil of the Christmas Tree Industry and what makes North Carolina one of the top places in the entire country to grow Christmas Trees, and we discover what it takes, and how long it takes, to get a Christmas from a seedling to the tree stand in your home. An episode or discussion about NC Christmas Trees would not be complete with mentioning the Choose & Cut farms that provide a wide range of experiences and a lifetime of memories as people and families countdown the days to Christmas.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
NC Cooperative Extension
NC State Extension
North Carolina Christmas Tree Associations
Where we went this year: Elk River Evergreens
Mike Andress, Host
Exploration Local
mike@explorationlocal.com
