Expect high quality trees this Christmas

Cold and wet mountain weather in the fall has created a bumper crop of high-quality Christmas trees in North Carolina, where 1,600 growers turn out roughly 5 million trees a year, ranking the state's harvest second nationwide behind Oregon.

The damp fall spelled good news in particular for firs, which go dormant and strengthen their needles when it's frosty. That means fewer needles on the carpet and more on the branches, experts said.

"We had some folks with trees in the ground that had snow on them," said Bill Glenn, a marketing specialist with the state Department of Agriculture. "You're going to see top-quality trees."

This year's 19-foot White House tree came from Peak Farms in Ashe County, N.C.

Farm income from Christmas trees totaled $85 million last year, though analysts say prices have been trending down for several years due to competition from fakes.

Real-tree dealers face heavy competition from artificial trees, which coupled with the down economy has put pressure on prices, said John Frampton, forestry professor at N.C. State University. But the industry expects the same slow uptick that much of the economy is seeing.

"We've had an abundance of phone calls," said Jennifer Greene, executive director of the NC Christmas Tree Association. "It's going to be a good year."

There's also been an overabundance of live trees in recent years, especially the mid-sized Fraser firs. So the bargains might be found at big-box retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe's, which have more leverage in negotiating prices with growers.

Lowe's was selling 6- and 7-foot trees for $34.97 Monday. Home Depot trees were priced at $31.97.

How long any savings lasts on trees, however, no one can say.

"You're not going to see those prices everywhere you go," Glenn said.

One thing working in real-tree sellers' favor: Thanksgiving came early this year, allowing five Thursdays in November -- an extra week to shake branches, size up fatness and strap the perfect tree to the car.