Fraser firs are native to North Carolina\u2019s Appalachian mountains and represent more than 98% of all the Christmas tree species grown and sold in the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the late 1990s, the Christmas Tree Genetics Program evaluated and tested tens of thousands of Fraser firs in an effort to identify those with the best genetic characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers ultimately identified the best 25 from nearly 30,000 trees and then propagated and planted them on a six-acre seed orchard at the Upper Mountain Research Station in 2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The seed orchard contains more than 1,000 trees, some of which are already producing seed-bearing cones. A single cone can contain up to 100 seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers are collecting the cones for studies and will eventually submit them to a newly constructed seed processing facility<\/a> in order to distribute the seeds to growers some time between 2026 and 2028. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur trees will make the lives of both growers and consumers easier,\u201d said Justin Whitehill<\/a>, director of the Christmas Tree Genetics Program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The trees will not only have a superior growth rate and appearance, but they will also retain their needles longer after harvest. Check out the list below to learn more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every Fraser fir tree grows at a different rate, with some sprouting faster than others. But generally, they require at least 7-8 years in the field to reach the commercial height of 6-7 feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the trees available on today\u2019s market originated from older seed orchards, forests or abandoned tree farms, and don\u2019t have improved genetics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When comparing the growth of these trees to their genetically-improved counterparts over the course of seven years, Whitehill found that the genetically-improved trees reached an average height of around a foot taller. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur genetically-improved trees grew an extra 1-2 inches a year,\u201d Whitehill said. \u201cSo instead of having to wait 7-8 years for a tree to reach the typical commercial height, growers might only have to wait 6-7 years.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n If growers plant the genetically-improved Fraser firs from the Upper Mountain Research Station by 2030, that means the trees could be available to consumers by 2036. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The structure of a Fraser fir consists of a straight central stem with branches that turn slightly upward to form a symmetrical, conical shape with a narrow, pointed crown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf a grower can produce a tree like that, it\u2019s great because that\u2019s what customers want,\u201d Whitehill said. \u201cBut there is a lot of work that goes into shaping trees.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Between July and August, many growers shear Fraser firs to slow the growth rate of the trees. This ensures that the trees develop into the preferred shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The shape of Fraser fir is controlled at least in part by genetics, though researchers don\u2019t know specifically which genes are responsible for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When the Christmas Tree Genetics Program identified the best 25 trees to propagate and plant at the Upper Mountain Research Station seed orchard, they considered the appearance of the trees as part of their selection criteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEach of the trees selected for the orchard had a conical shape with dense branches, so we expect their offspring to grow that way as well,\u201d Whitehill said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He added, \u201cIf we can grow trees that already look like that and reduce or eliminate the need for manual labor, it\u2019s going to save money for growers. It\u2019s also going to make customers happy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Conifer trees tend to lose their needles at some point after they\u2019ve been harvested due to the significant stress of being separated from their root system, according to Whitehill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Experimentally, Whitehill said that most conifers experience the highest level of needle loss 40 days following harvest. Fraser firs, however, can hold onto their needles for several months \u2014 one of the key reasons why they\u2019re so popular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Fraser fir\u2019s ability to retain its needles after harvest is almost entirely controlled by its genetics, but it can also be affected by environmental conditions. When exposed to freezing temperatures, for example, a Fraser fir tree will retain upwards of 95% of its needles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the mountains, if the weather is cooler and you get freezing temperatures, it shuts down the tree\u2019s biological activities and slows down needle loss,\u201d Whitehill said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But with Christmas tree growers facing pressure to produce greenery earlier every year, they need trees that will retain their needles under warmer-than-average temperatures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fraser firs developed by the Christmas Tree Genetics Program are expected to lose less than 1-2% of their needles, according to Whitehill, even in the absence of cooler temperatures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou might not even need to vacuum with the genetics developed by our program ,\u201d Whitehill said. <\/p>\n\n\nGrowth Rate <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/fraser-fir-christmas-tree-cone-ncsu-1500x844-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Aesthetics <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/fraser-fir-christmas-trees-field-ncsu-1500x844-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>Needle Retention <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cnr.ncsu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/12\/fraser-fir-christmas-tree-needles-ncsu-1500x844-1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>