Fraser firs need altitude
Residents in Piedmont North Carolina live at the foot of the greatest area of Christmas-tree production in the country.
Still, 120 miles and a few thousand feet in elevation make all the difference in what can grow here.
To my mind, the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) is by far the finest Christmas tree that has ever been cut. But the tree will soon suffer and die without the cool mist, the nightly drops in temperature and buoyant atmosphere of the mountains.
The Fraser is naturally found at about 4,000 feet. The trees have been moved to lower elevations, but they have never been moved this low. Most conifers thrive in cooler climates than we can supply. Even so, a few will do just fine. More consideration should be given to a tree’s cultural needs than to our preconceived notions of what a Christmas tree should look like.
A tree can always be dressed up to look like Christmas, but that doesn’t make it perform better in the landscape. Most of the trees that I will discuss need full sun and plenty of room to grow. You can’t cut the top out of a conifer and have a decent looking tree, as many power-line “prunings” have shown.
The South is not prime habitat for conifers. Of the selections below, many reach their full glory in more northern settings. Specialty nurseries may have cultivars with other qualities, such as color, form or height. With a long-term landscape investment, it is always worth a look around.
❑ Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana) is a scraggly native that can be pruned into a decent-looking pyramid. It is yellow-green in color and is tolerant of poor, dry, clay soil. It slowly converts from pyramidal to flat topped, and it can reach about 60 feet high by 10 to 30 feet wide. It is usually smaller and is a good choice for naturalizing.
❑ Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) has soft, long, blue-green needles. It can tolerate some shade. It grows to 80 to 100 feet high and 20 to 40 feet wide. Shearing will keep this fast grower pyramidal. In its natural form, the long-layered branches and brittle wood of the white pine make it very susceptible to ice damage.
❑ Leyland cypress (X Cupressocyparis leylandii) has been planted to the point of nausea throughout our region. A very fast-growing, short-lived hybrid, the tree has scale-like needles and is dark bluish-green in color. It is more columnar than pyramidal.There are many varieties available.
❑ Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) has spirally arranged dark-green needles. It grows 50 to 80 feet high and 20 to 30 feet wide. The growth rate is moderate, and it will tolerate some shade. There are several varieties.
❑ Two spruces do OK in our climate - Norway (Picea abies) and Colorado blue, (P. pungens Glauca). The Norway will develop into a graceful, pendulous branching tree with age; it can grow to 60 feet high and 30 feet wide. Decorating a Norway spruce is somewhat akin to putting pantyhose on a porcupine - a very prickly situation.
The Colorado blue is a slower-growing tree of stiffer habit; it is narrower than the Norway. The color of Colorado blue spruce is infinitely variable, and some named varieties are far superior.
❑ Deodora cedar (Cedrus deodora) is an excellent grower for our region, thus it is very popular. It is a very graceful tree, especially when young, with blue-green needles and drooping branches. It can grow 40 to 70 feet high and wide. The nodding top of this tree is a definitive characteristic. It eventually grows into a flat-topped tree.
What follows is a partial list of farms where live Christmas trees may be cut and bought:
Alleghany County
❑ Bickerstaff Trees, 1243 Macedonia Church Road, Sparta; and Bickerstaff wreaths and garlands, 866 N.C. 18 South, Sparta. For directions or more information, visit the Web site http://www.bickerstafftrees.com or call 336-372-8866.
❑ Joe Edwards Christmas Tree Farm, 2081 Pine Swamp Road, Sparta. For more information, call 336-372-1711.
❑ Lil’ Grandfather Mountain Christmas Tree Farm, 15371 N.C. 18, Laurel Springs. For more information, call 336-372-9613.
❑ Maines Tree Farm, 113 Bob’s Lane, Glade Valley. For more information, call 336-363-2901.
❑ McInnis Tree Farms, Presnell Road, Sparta. For more information, call 336-657-8072.
❑ McInnis Tree Farms, 223 Wilson Road, Ennice. For more information, call 336-657-8587.
❑ Sam and Edna’s Trees, 14633 N.C. 18, Laurel Springs. For more information, call 336-359-2365.
For more tree-farm listings, call the Alleghany Chamber of Commerce at 800-372-5473 or visit the chamber’s Web site at http://www.sparta-nc.com/choose.
Ashe County
❑ Lee’s Trees, 965 Helen Blevins Road, West Jefferson. For more information, call 336-846-7936 or 336-846-1288.
❑ Lyalls Nursery, 238 Mount Valley Drive, West Jefferson. For more information, call 336-846-7516 or 336-977-0067.
❑ Mountain Memories Christmas Trees, 500 Cox Road, Jefferson. For more information, call 336-246-7037.
❑ Shady Rest Tree Farm, 287 Trading Post Road, Glendale Springs. For more information, call 336-982-2031.
❑ Waylands Nursery, 1003 Round Knob Ridge Road, West Jefferson. For more information, call 336-246-7729.
For additional locations in Ashe County and surrounding areas, call 336-219-2650 or go to http://www.ashecountychristmastrees.com.
Avery County
❑ Brook Hollow Choose and Cut, 351 Johnson Lane, Crossnore. For more information, visit the farm’s Web site at http://www.tommytrees.com or call 828-733-9161.
❑ Cartner Christmas Tree Farm, 901 Balsam Lane, Newland. For more information, call 828-733-2391.
❑ Sugar Plum Farms, 1263 Isaacs Branch Road, Plum Tree. For more information, call 888-257-0019.
Catawba County
❑ Santa’s Forest, 4071 Herter Road, Lincolnton. For more information, visit the farm’s Web site at http://www.herternursery.com or call 828-428-3774.
Guilford County
❑ Horley Christmas Tree Farm, 1098 N.C. 150 (at the corner of Strawberry Road and N.C. 150), Summerfield. For more information, call 336-643-4007.
❑ John Wagoner & Sons Christmas Trees, 5611 N.C. 61 (on the left, just outside Gibsonville). For more information, 336-449-4557.
Watauga County
❑ Appalachian Evergreens, Hardin Road, Boone. For more information, call 828-264-1609 or 828- 265-6143.
❑ Big Ridge Tree Farm, 762 George Eggers Road, Banner Elk. For more information, call 828-963-5151.
❑ Bill and Peggy Austin Choose and Cut, 166 Russ Cornett Road, Boone. For more information, call 828-264-7296.
❑ Bluestone Greenery, 1230 Howard Edmisten Road, Sugar Grove. For more information, call 828-297-5377.
❑ Circle C Farms, 313 Will Cook Road, Boone. For more information, call 828-773-4026.
❑ Clawson’s Choose & Cut, 4944 N.C. 194, Boone. For more information, call 828-264-3162.
❑ Cornett Deal Christmas Tree Farm, 142 Tannenbaum Lane, Vilas. For more information, call 828-297-1136.
❑ Ewing’s Fraser Fir Farm, 172 Will Perry Road, Vilas. For more information, call 828-297-2856.
❑ Lieberman Farm, 711 Old Glade Road, Deep Gap. For more information, call 828-264-5738.
❑ My Two Girls Tree Farm, 7297 Old U.S. 421 S., Deep Gap. For more information, call 828-963-3572 or 828-963-3570.
❑ Norris Tree Farm, 1811 Meat Camp Road, Boone. For more information, call 828-262-1619.
❑ RRR Tree Farm, Boone. For more information, call 336-877-0554 or visit the farm’s Web Site at http://www.rrrtreefarm.com.
❑ Stone Mountain Farms, 301 Sherry Reece Road, Trade, Tenn. For more information, call 828-297-1251.
❑ Tom Lawrence Farm, 6720 U.S. 421 N., Vilas. For more information, call 828-264-6400.
❑ What Fir! Tree Farm, 330 Wolf Ridge Trail, Boone. For more information, call 828-297-4646 or visit the farm’s Web site at http://www.whatfirtreefarm.com.
❑ Wintergreen Farm, 223 Waddell Road, Mountain City, Tenn. For more information, call 423-727-2593.
For more locations in Watauga County, call Watauga County Christmas Tree Association, 828-264-3061. This list was taken from a list compiled by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The department has a complete list of choose-and-cut tree farms at its Web site at http://www.ncfarmfresh.com/farms.asp.
By David Bare
