Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) Storm Center | By Leslie Hudson
North Carolina is the second-largest Christmas tree producer in the U.S. The majority of Florida’s Christmas trees comes from the Carolinas or the Midwest. But many Christmas tree farms suffered devastating flooding from Hurricane Helene just before the 2024 holiday season. Polluted water and heavy rains damaged farms, raising concerns about the supply and future of the industry.
Growers are asking for the public’s help as they continue to recover from Hurricane Helene. Helene impacted Christmas tree farm inventory from the Midlands in South Carolina all the way to western North Carolina.
So it’s not a surprise Christmas trees are big business here. But after a brutal hurricane season and a series of storms that flooded parts of the Carolinas, some Christmas tree growers are feeling the effects as we head into the Christmas time crunch. One farm says they lost up to 80,000 trees in Avery County, North Carolina, alone.
Most farmers say about 5-10% of their Christmas tree inventory flooded after Helene dumped more than 20” of rain in a 2-week period in many of the tree farms. High winds also affected the shape of some Christmas trees. Most of the tree’s wind damage was from being leaned over which crushed branches. According to State officials some farms did lose some of their big trees, but they are hoping for a busy holiday crowd over the next few weeks that will buy the trees they have left.
Officials are asking people across the eastern US to consider buying a tree from businesses that grow their trees in North and South Carolina. Many of the large box stores get their trees from the Carolinas and a quick call to your local retailer should let you know where their trees came from before you go buy one.
Christmas trees grown in the Carolina come in a wide variety. Most of the trees are cypress, cedar, and pine varieties. The most popular tree grown in the Carolinas is the Fraser fir.
Click here to learn more about South Carolina Christmas trees
And according to the NC Christmas Tree Association, North Carolina Christmas tree growers harvest an average of 5 to 6 million trees every year. That kind of harvest brings in an estimated $250 million in retail value for the state.
Officials say Christmas tree sales help provide jobs, income, and tax revenue to the area. The South Carolina Christmas Tree Association says that despite the flood damage, they do not expect Christmas tree farms to increase prices this holiday season.
Christmas tree farmers say raising Christmas trees is a family business, and supporting them by getting a Christmas tree from the Carolinas this year will help sustain the legacy for years to come.
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