North Carolina’s Christmas Tree Season Thrives Amid Challenges
Despite concerns about the aftermath of Helene, North Carolina’s Christmas tree industry has experienced a flourishing season. The state, known for its expansive tree farms, produces between 2 to 3 million Christmas trees each year across 33,000 acres, primarily in the High Country. According to Will Kohlway, a Christmas tree production extension specialist at NC State University, this year’s conditions have been favorable for growth.
“We had rain equally spread out throughout the year, instead of all at once,” Kohlway stated. “We didn’t have many droughts. We had good temperatures. Our trees look really great.”
However, the sector did face some hurdles due to Helene, particularly impacting seedling growers. These farmers, who typically plant on flat and low-lying areas near water bodies, were significantly affected by flooding.
“A lot of times that’s on lower elevation closer to the water,” Kohlway explained. “So when the flooding hit, we had some nursery producers that had basically everything outside washed away.”
To mitigate the impact, many seedling farmers received government assistance to sustain their operations. Kohlway noted that growers managed to procure seedlings from unaffected regions, maintaining a stable supply and keeping prices consistent for this season.
