Our Story

History of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association

The first Christmas tree marketplace was created in 1851 in New York City, however; North Carolina only began growing Fraser Fir tree seedlings specifically for harvesting in 1955. In 1959, five Avery County growers assembled to form the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association (NCCTA). In 1964, North Carolina sold 1 million Christmas trees with a price that averaged 1 dollar per foot. In 1971, a Fraser Fir was selected for the first time as the official White House Christmas tree. More than 400,000 Fraser Firs were harvested the following year and by 1979, the number had tripled to 1.4 million. In both 1982 & 1984, a North Carolina Fraser Fir was selected as the official White House Tree. Since then the North Carolina Fraser Fir has been selected 13 times to be showcased in the Blue Room of the White House, including back to back wins in 2023 and 2024 (see White House Trees under News & Events). By 1988, the NC Christmas Tree industry was valued at 55 million dollars and harvested 4.1 million trees annually.  By 2006, western North Carolina Christmas tree growers had reduced pesticide use by half using integrative pest management practices.  Growers continue to keep pesticide use as low as possible today using techniques first developed by agricultural researchers and growers in the 1960s. Today the North Carolina Christmas Tree Industry is ranked second in the nation in number of trees harvested according to the 2022 USDA Ag Census, with more than 3 million trees cut annually. The NCCTA continues to face complex challenges of modern production including changes in markets, labor and the environment.