The Importance and Benefits of Locally-Grown Christmas Trees
go.ncsu.edu/readext?1108032
en Español / em Português
El inglés es el idioma de control de esta página. En la medida en que haya algún conflicto entre la traducción al inglés y la traducción, el inglés prevalece.
Al hacer clic en el enlace de traducción se activa un servicio de traducción gratuito para convertir la página al español. Al igual que con cualquier traducción por Internet, la conversión no es sensible al contexto y puede que no traduzca el texto en su significado original. NC State Extension no garantiza la exactitud del texto traducido. Por favor, tenga en cuenta que algunas aplicaciones y/o servicios pueden no funcionar como se espera cuando se traducen.
Português
Inglês é o idioma de controle desta página. Na medida que haja algum conflito entre o texto original em Inglês e a tradução, o Inglês prevalece.
Ao clicar no link de tradução, um serviço gratuito de tradução será ativado para converter a página para o Português. Como em qualquer tradução pela internet, a conversão não é sensivel ao contexto e pode não ocorrer a tradução para o significado orginal. O serviço de Extensão da Carolina do Norte (NC State Extension) não garante a exatidão do texto traduzido. Por favor, observe que algumas funções ou serviços podem não funcionar como esperado após a tradução.
English
English is the controlling language of this page. To the extent there is any conflict between the English text and the translation, English controls.
Clicking on the translation link activates a free translation service to convert the page to Spanish. As with any Internet translation, the conversion is not context-sensitive and may not translate the text to its original meaning. NC State Extension does not guarantee the accuracy of the translated text. Please note that some applications and/or services may not function as expected when translated.
Collapse ▲It’s that most wonderful time of the year once again! Whichever holiday you celebrate during this winter season, it’s hard to look at a beautifully decorated Christmas tree without feeling festive. These icons of the winter holiday season herald the return of this time of year when we gather together with friends and family to celebrate and to show appreciation for one another. Although there are many plastic or metal Christmas tree options available, you just can’t beat the atmosphere or smell that a real, freshly-cut Christmas tree brings to our homes. There are also many other benefits of choosing to purchase a real Christmas tree, which we will touch on today!
Growing Christmas Trees in NC
Growing Christmas trees is a big deal in North Carolina. We rank 2nd in the nation for Christmas tree production, which represents 25% of the total U.S. ‘s supply. Our state’s trees are also high-quality, often being selected to decorate the White House! While the Fraser fir is the most popular tree species grown (and native to NC’s Appalachian mountains) for Christmas trees, there are several others that make great alternatives, such as white pine, Virginia pine, eastern red cedar, Leyland cypress, arborvitae, and Arizona cypress (with two varieties commonly used being ‘Carolina Sapphire’ and ‘Blue Ice’). Each tree species varies in characteristics, such as leaf color and texture, branch strength, needle retention, and fragrance.
NC State Christmas Tree Research
There are many resources on the NC State Extension website to help you select and care for a Christmas tree for your home. We even have a laboratory dedicated specifically to breeding Christmas trees! To continue improving the quality of Christmas trees grown in NC, researchers at the Whitehill Lab Christmas Tree Genetics Program are aiming to breed even better, top-notch trees. Their research focuses on developing trees that grow at faster rates, produce better aromas, and are better able to handle the challenges of climate change, including temperature stress, drought, as well as pressure from pests and disease.
Care Tips for Your Real Christmas Tree
If you choose to purchase a real cut or live Christmas tree (with the root ball, so you can replant it), they need to be cared for to remain fresh and festive the whole holiday season. When selecting a tree, make sure it is fresh from the beginning. Trees will remain fresh longer when they have access to water and have been kept in cold storage or in the shade. You can tell between a fresh and dry tree by the feel of the needles (fresh are soft and cool to the touch, versus dry and stiff), the color (fresh will be darker green), how well the tree retains its needles (dry trees will lose needles more readily), and the tree’s overall weight (with fresh being heavier from water weight). Once you bring your tree home, keep it hydrated! We recommend using a tree stand that can accommodate at least a gallon of water and checking it often to top-off or replace water as needed. When selecting the location for your tree in your home, be mindful to keep it away from direct sunlight as well as heat sources like vents, fireplaces, wood stoves, and radiators. Lastly, if you add lighting to your tree, make sure to turn off your lights before heading to bed or leaving the house to reduce the risk of starting a fire.
Many local farm stands and nurseries located in and around Lee County are selling NC-grown Christmas trees this year! By choosing to purchase a real tree from our local growers, you are helping to support this important crop to our state’s economy. You are also making a more environmentally sustainable choice, since real trees will decompose after you are done using them. You can either keep them on your property for wildlife to use or recycle them, as they can be repurposed into mulch or biofuel.
We hope you learned something new about Christmas trees to share with your loved ones this holiday season! For more information about Christmas trees and sourcing them locally, please contact N.C. Cooperative Extension at the Lee County Center office and ask for Meredith Favre, our Local Foods Coordinator, for more information.