The White House Christmas Tree Will Come From Farm Hit by Hurricane Helene

A North Carolina farm hit by Hurricane Helene is set to provide the White House with a Christmas tree this holiday season.

Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm, located in Avery County, faced severe challenges after the storm unleashed destructive mudslides, taking out thousands of trees and leaving the landscape scarred.

However, despite the region still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact, the 20-foot Fraser fir’s journey to Washington continues.

For the Cartner family, the tree is about more than holiday cheer, it symbolizes a beacon of perseverance.

“We wanted to really be an uplifting symbol for the other farmers and other people in western North Carolina that have experienced so many losses,” Sam Cartner Jr., one of three brothers who owns the farm, told The Associated Press (AP).

Triumph Amidst Adversity

The storm damaged infrastructure and caused the loss of 5,000 to 6,000 young trees at the farm, according to Cartner.

However, their mature, market-ready trees were able to be spared as the farm’s workforce, many of whom are seasonal workers from Mexico, worked tirelessly to stabilize the land and prepare for the season’s harvest.

Despite setbacks, Cartner remains optimistic. “We’re looking forward to a relatively normal harvest,” he said, though he acknowledged others in the region might not fare as well.

According to Jennifer Greene, North Carolina Christmas Tree Association executive director, the biggest challenge for Christmas tree farmers across North Carolina, who collectively harvest millions of Christmas trees annually, has been fixing infrastructure on their property, including roads.

However, Greene noted that farmers across the region are persevering as they are leaning on resourcefulness to recover from the hurricane’s lingering effects.

“They’re resourceful, and you know, so they’re going to find a way, you know, to make it happen,” Greene said to the AP of the area’s Christmas tree farmers. “I mean, they have to.”

A Tree Fit for the White House

Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm earned the honor of providing the White House Christmas tree after winning the National Christmas Tree Association’s 2024 grand championship.

The winning Fraser fir, chosen in October by White House staff, stood out for its lush green color, short limbs and perfect symmetry. At 25 years old and weighing up to 500 pounds, the tree required a crane to lift it onto the transport truck for its journey to Washington.

The tree will soon take center stage in the Blue Room, where it will be unveiled by first lady Jill Biden. For the Cartner family, presenting the tree to the first lady is a culmination of decades of hard work, a tradition started by Sam and Margaret Cartner when they founded the farm in 1959.

A Legacy of Resilience

For the Cartners, the honor carries deep emotional weight. While the spotlight is an unexpected shift for a farm used to quiet, steady work, the family sees it as a tribute to the enduring spirit of their community

“They would want this tree to represent the faith, and hope, and love, and joy and family and generosity, all those good things of mankind that we need to stop and recognize,” Cartner said, speaking of his parents.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.