Tom Sawyer photo
Tom Sawyer Tree Farm in Glenville, North Carolina.
In late fall and early winter, families find their way to the steep slopes of Southern Appalachian farms to choose and cut the most favored of trees—the Fraser fir.
In the mountains of North Carolina, steep slopes and higher elevations provide prime growing conditions. The Fraser fir represents 95 percent of the state’s Christmas tree market, and the state market represents 20 percent of all Christmas trees grown in the United States.
“Fraser fir is native to and grows naturally only in the Southern Appalachian mountains above 3,000 feet,” says Jennifer Greene, executive director of the N.C. Christmas Tree Association. “The cool temperatures and large amounts of rainfall in the mountains of North Carolina create the optimal climate for Fraser firs, ensuring a superior Christmas tree that customers will ask for again and again.”
For 50 years, a North Carolina Fraser fir has been selected for the holidays at the White House, and the largest home in North America—the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina—erects a 35-foot Fraser fir in the Banquet Hall.
Exploring choose-and-cut farms in search of the perfect tree is a time-honored way to get the family outside.
“Having grown up in Western North Carolina, my favorite time of year was making a family trip to buy a Christmas tree. The ‘home grown’ trees always have been my favorite for their smell and beauty,” says Jake Muirhead, a homebuilder and fireman who lives in Maggie Valley, North Carolina.
As an added benefit, Christmas tree farms can give back to nature. “The farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies, provide a refuge for wildlife, and trees absorb carbon dioxide and other gases while giving off fresh oxygen,” Greene says.
Choose, Cut, and Stay
Some farms in North Carolina have partnered with local lodging establishments to create vacation packages around the tree-cutting tradition.
In Todd, RRR Laurel Knob Tree Farm welcomes visitors to ride tractor-pulled wagons across the fields to pick out the perfect Fraser fir that they may choose to cut themselves. Overnight accommodations packages are booked through High Country area hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, or vacation rentals. 828.264.6488; rrrtreefarm.com.
For a tree experience complete with Santa, an elf village, and a post office with delivery to the North Pole, consider Tom Sawyer Tree Farm in Lake Glenville. Accommodations packages trend toward the high-end with stays at Bear Lake Reserve, Cashiers Village Inn, Old Edwards Inn, and High Hampton Inn. 828.743.5456; tomsawyerchristmastreefarm.com.
Boyd Mountain Tree Farm in Waynesville spreads across 130 acres of hiking trails, a stocked trout stream, a Fraser fir farm, and seven hand-hewed log cabins that are centuries old and sleep two to ten people. 828.926.1575; boydmountain.com.
No matter where you go, you can design your own overnight excursion. Make use of the tree farm listings available through Christmas Tree Growers’ Associations; the Tennessee and Georgia associations’ interactive map features make it easy. Whether you want a hayride and a cup of hot cocoa with Santa or to simply seek out the largest tree in the field, you’ll find a farm for you.