BY ROBYN GOSS BENNAI
THE TREE
MAGIC OF THE CHRISTMAS Even before the advent of Christianity, evergreens had
been used for some time as decorations by many
people for various celebrations. Th e tradition of
evergreen trees used for Christmas decorating began
in Germany during the 16th century. And it is
believed that Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant reformer,
was the fi rst to add lighted candles to a Christmas tree to emulate
the beauty of twinkling stars among the evergreens that he had observed
on his walk home one night.
Th e Christmas trees used throughout the centuries were found in
the forest and then eventually cultivated by farmers. While I must
admit that I have been lured by the ease of using an artifi cial tree
in the past, I know there is nothing more relaxing and grounding
during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season than sitting and
enjoying the aroma of a freshly cut tree. What great fortune it is that
we live in North Carolina where a plethora of live trees can be found.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are traveling to Ashe
County where my father was born and raised and seeing the Christmas
trees in various states of growth on all the many farms. North
Carolina is well-known for its Christmas trees and here are just a
few of the interesting facts about their production here in our state:
– Christmas trees are grown in every state including Hawaii. North
Carolina is ranked second in the number of trees harvested and
produces over 26% of trees grown in the United States, which
amounts to over 5 million trees harvested annually.
– North Carolina Fraser fi r trees represent 94% of all species grown
in North Carolina and 25% of trees grown nationally.
– North Carolina has over 1,300 Christmas tree growers with ap-
proximately 58 million trees growing on 40,000 acres.
– Fraser fi rs are native to Western Appalachian Mountains.
– Th e top fi ve Christmas tree producing counties in North Caro-
lina are Ashe, Avery, Alleghany, Watauga, and Jackson.
– Th e North Carolina Fraser fi r is a 13-time winner of the national
competition for the honor of displaying a tree in the White
House – more than any other state and tree species in the nation!
– It takes as long as 12 years to grow a tree to an average retail height
of 6-7 feet, and during its life, has been visited by the grower
more than 100 times.
48 CIRCA Magazine | October • November • December 2020 | www.circamagazine.com
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