NC Christmas Tree Farms

Mountain Scenery and Fraser Firs

Attract Weekend Christmas Tree Cutters

Where would you go for the perfect Christmas tree? To the Boone North Carolina area, of course! Visitors come for the long mountain views, weekend cabins, cozy inns and the Blue Ridge Parkway. But mostly they come for the Fraser firs, the Cadillac of Christmas trees, which thrive at elevations of 3,000 feet and higher.

Because of the Fraser’s popularity and its restricted growing region, the High Country of northwestern North Carolina has become a major Christmas tree region. And with suburban growth chipping away at tree farm land around eastern metro areas more tree seekers than ever are making a weekend of it in places like Boone, which boasts dozens of cut-your-own places and other getaway amenities.

Each year, tens of thousands of trees are sold at choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms in the Boone area. And it’s not just cut-and-drive anymore. Before you fell your carefully selected tree, you can visit sheep or llamas at a petting zoo, take a ride on a hay wagon, sip cider or cocoa by a bonfire, marvel at antique farm implements or stop by a seasonal store stocked with crafts, wreaths and local goods.

North Carolina harvests about 6.5 million Christmas trees a year (second only to Oregon), and more than 90 percent of them are Fraser firs. The Fraser, partisans insist, is the ideal Christmas tree because of its deep color, pungent fragrance and densely packed needles that remain on the tree long after it’s cut. The North Carolina Fraser has been chosen as the official White House Christmas tree nine times, more than any other tree.

TREE CUTTING:

There are more than 20 tree farms in the Boone-High Country area. For contact information and directions, visit http://www.watauganurserymen.org/choose_cut.htm

The publisher’s favorite is Sugar Plum Farm, located off Hwy 19E, in Plumtree, NC. Owners James & Helen Pitts live on the 80 acre farm and personally oversee the Choose & Cut Christmas tree program. Contact them at: (888) 257-0019 or www.sugarplumfarm.com

An area stop not to be missed on your Christmas tree cutting trip is the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis and in downtown Boone.

More information on visiting the High Country area, contact Boone Convention & Visitors Bureau, 800-852-9506, or www.visitboonenc.com or NC High Country Host: www.mountainsofnc.com (800) 438-7500