ALVIN, Texas – As soon as the calendar flips to November, it’s time for some to start pulling out the holiday decorations.
While we still have to get through Thanksgiving, it actually might be a good idea to think about where you’re getting your family’s Christmas tree this year.
There’s a chance that you might have a tough time getting your hands on a real tree—and Mother Nature is to blame.
There’s no place that produces more Christmas trees than Western North Carolina. Roughly 22% of the nation’s trees come from the state and a significant portion comes from the western mountains.
It just so happens to be the same area that was gut-punched by Hurricane Helene in September.
According to the North Carolina Forest Service, winds from Helene damaged or completely destroyed 822,000 acres of timberland.
N.C. Forest Service personnel have completed an aerial forestland damage assessment in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. An estimated 822,000 acres of timberland were damaged during the storm, resulting in an estimated $214,000,000 of timber damage to North Carolina forests. pic.twitter.com/KD1bOr1uYs
— N.C. Forest Service (@ncforestservice) November 1, 2024
With many roads and bridges still impassable, the question now is: Will the surviving trees be able to make it to stores in order to be sold?
“We do not expect the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to have a significant effect on the supply of real North Carolina Fraser Fir Christmas trees this holiday season,” said Jennifer Greene, the executive director of the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association. “Christmas tree farmers are resilient, and they possess the grit and determination to overcome the most challenging circumstances.”
“I think that it will more than likely be a shortage of trees, especially at your typical places, that most people would go buy a tree, a tree lot or a box store,” said Tyler Froberg of Froberg’s Farm in Alvin, Texas.
His farm is no stranger to Mother Nature’s wrath.
Earlier in the year, Hurricane Beryl knocked over every single one of his 10,000 Christmas trees growing on his farm.
“We pushed all the trees back in place. We put this kickstand in place,” Froberg explained. “We had to do that with 10,000 of them.”
Even though, he says the devastation is nowhere that of western North Carolina.
Whether we’ll actually see a shortage of Christmas trees this year is truthfully yet to be seen. It all depends on how many people want real trees in their homes this holiday season.
Gage: “Do you think you’ll sell more than you would typically because of what happened with Helene?
Tyler: “We don’t want to bank on someone else’s tragedy. If there is a shortage of real trees out there, and we can give people a real family experience to come out and cut their own, then I don’t see why we wouldn’t.”
While your big box stores and tree lots might not have the cream of the crop, just know there’s a place in town that has what you need.
“If you’re in the Greater Houston area, don’t sweat it,” Froberg said. “Christmas is saved. Just come on down to Alvin, Texas, and we’ll take care of you.”
Froberg’s Farm opens for the season on Black Friday.
