There are a lot of Christmas trees in North Carolina. To be precise, the state is home to about 50 million Fraser fir trees, the desired breed for a lushly leafy, lit, and lively tree.
This breed, known for its perfect pyramid shape, accounts for 96 percent of all living Christmas trees produced in the United States, placing North Carolina second nationally in holiday tree production behind Oregon. The Fraser fir is named after John Fraser, an 18th-century Scottish botanist known for his exploration of the Appalachian Mountains.
Nowadays, nurturing these trees from the sprout to the saw is big business: according to the U.S Department of Agriculture, Christmas tree sales added $86 million to the state’s coffers in 2017.
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