AVERY COUNTY, N.C. — Christmas tree harvesting has begun in the North Carolina mountains, with growers hopeful for a successful season due to favorable weather conditions and potential shifts in consumer preferences.
The price of artificial Christmas trees is expected to increase by 10 to 20%, potentially boosting demand for real trees.
Growers in Avery County are hopeful that the recent snow and rain will improve the quality of this year’s harvest.
“This is sort of the lifeblood of Avery County for us as farmers,” said Larry Smith, a grower who has been harvesting trees for four decades, including one that was displayed in the White House in 2018.
Jeff King, who has been growing and selling trees for 45 years, remarked, “If you’re gonna get a real tree, you’re gonna get a real tree. There is something special about a real tree.”
Jeff King mentioned that industry pricing for real trees has held steady for the last two years.
King’s Christmas Trees in Morganton is set to open as early as this weekend, preparing for the holiday season.
Larry Smith showed off one of the 40,000 Christmas trees on his property near Newland, emphasizing the importance of the industry to the local economy.
Each year, approximately one million trees are harvested in Avery County and shipped along the East Coast, highlighting the region’s significance in the Christmas tree market.
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