The Unique Fraser Fir

North Carolina Christmas tree growers produce over 50 million live Fraser firs each year. The Fraser fir was named for John Fraser, a Scottish botanist who explored the southern Appalachian Mountains in the late 1700s. A natural Fraser fir is a pyramid-shaped tree that reaches a maximum height of 80 feet and a trunk diameter of 1-1/2 feet.

The live Fraser fir grows naturally only in the southern Appalachians, above 3,000 feet. The cool temperatures and plentiful rainfall in the high country of North Carolina allows the premium Fraser fir to keep its needles throughout the Christmas season.

Over 50 million Fraser firs are grown in North Carolina on 25,000 acres for use as real Christmas trees. The Fraser fir represents over 90% of all live Christmas trees grown in North Carolina.

The First Christmas Trees

Live Christmas trees haven't always been a real Christmas tradition. No one actually knows who displayed the first live Christmas tree in their home, but some historians believe that the Egyptians and Romans used some form of fresh evergreen to decorate their homes in late December.

It is generally agreed that the first use of a real evergreen tree as part of the Christian Christmas celebration was in Germany around 400 years ago.

The live Christmas tree tradition was brought to America by German mercenaries fighting with the British during the Revolutionary War. In 1804, soldiers stationed at a fort near Chicago hauled live evergreen trees to their barracks to add a special touch to their Christmas celebration.

In 1842, a German named Charles Minnegerode from Williamsburg, Virginiia introduced the custom of decorating live Christmas trees. His Christmas tree was described as being "splendidly decorated" with strings of popcorn, nuts, and lighted candles.

By 1900, one in five American families decorated live Christmas trees during the holiday seasons and by 1930, the Christmas tree had become a nearly universal part of the American Christmas celebration. 

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