Fraser Fir

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Fraser Fir - dark green, flattened needles; 1/2 to 1 inch long, dark green on the top and silvery underneath; good needle retention; nice scent; pyramid-shaped strong branches which turn upward. The Fraser fir branches turn slightly upward. They have good form and needle-retention. They are dark blue-green in colour. They have a pleasant scent, and excellent shipping characteristics as well. Named for a botanist, John Fraser Fir, who explored the southern Appalachians in the late 1700's.  Fraser Firs only grow in cooler climates; north of Georgia, for example. In borderline areas, like North Carolina, Fraser firs only grow at higher elevations, 4,500 feet or above. They can grow on north-facing slopes, though, as low as 2,300 feet elevation. Sometimes misspelled "Frazer Fir", "Frasier Fir" or Frazier Fir".

By far the most popular commercial cut tree sold at tree lots and big box store in the United States. Fraser fir has been used more times as the White House Christmas tree than any other tree. The Christmas decoration trade is a multimillion-dollar business in the southern Appalachians. North Carolina produces the majority of Fraser fir Christmas trees. It requires from seven to ten years in the field to produce a 1.8-2.1-meter-tall (6-7-foot) tree.