America's Christmas Trees - Fraser Fir

In October 2005, two White House employees journeyed to the mountains of North Carolina with a special mission--to select the evergreen tree that would become the official 2005 White House Christmas Tree. When the men reached Laurel Springs, North Carolina and visited the Smoky Holler Tree Farm they found the perfect tree, an eighteen foot tall Fraser fir. On November30, 2005, Betsy, Earl, Buddy and Meg Deal, owners of the tree farm, presented the tree to the First Family and the nation. Clad in an array of white lilies, crystal ornaments and silvery garlands, the country’s most famous Fraser fir stood in the Blue Room of the White House for the holiday season.

It’s no surprise that White House officials chose a Fraser fir. The perfectly shaped, fragrant trees have been chosen for this honor a record nine times, more than any other evergreen variety. Ordinary Americans are just as fond of the Fraser fir. According to the National Christmas Tree Association, the species is one of the most popular Christmas tree choices.

The species was named for John Fraser, a plant collector, amateur botanist, publisher and explorer who visited the southeastern United States many times in the years just following the Revolutionary War. Interested in securing new plants for the English market, Fraser was responsible for introducing species of azaleas, birches, rhododendrons and magnolias to the Old World. While Fraser did not discover the tree that bears his name, it was named in his honor by fellow botanist Frederick Traugott Pursh.

Since the Fraser fir lives in mountainous areas, it is not logged intensively. The soft wood is sometimes used for such things as paneling and crates, and the fragrant bows for “pine pillows”, but the Fraser fir’s primary use is for fresh-cut Christmas trees.