From NC to DC: This year's White House Christmas tree has a familiar connection

Joyce Orlando, Asheville Citizen Times
·2 min read
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The White House is getting a little bit of Southern charm for the 2021 holiday season.

Last week, President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden welcomed an 18.5 foot Fraser fir tree from Peak Farms in Ashe County, N.C. On Oct. 19, the North Carolina Christmas Tree Association announced that White House staff selected a tree from Peak Farms. The farm has supplied the tree in 2008 and 2012 for the Obama administration and also one for now President Biden's residence in 2018.

And Peak Farms isn't the only supplier of Christmas trees to the White House in the state.

A little bit of North Carolina in Washington, D.C.

This isn't the first time a tree from the Tar Heel state have graced the Blue Room at the White House.

In the past, 13 trees have been sent to the White House from North Carolina since 1971. Past growers who have been selected include farmers in Newland, Laurel Springs and Grassy Creek, among others, according to the N.C. Christmas Tree Association.

How is a White House tree picked?

The Blue Room Christmas Tree is the official indoor Christmas tree at the White House.

The first indoor Christmas tree was installed in the White House sometime in the 19th century and since 1961 the first lady has chosen how to decorate it.

Since 1966, the National Christmas Tree Association has gifted the official White House Christmas tree.

Each year, NCTA hosts a national tree contest, at which growers, industry experts and consumers vote to select the grower who will provide the official White House Christmas tree. To qualify for the national contest, growers must first win their state or regional competitions, so being named National Grand Champion is quite an achievement.

Past Christmas trees and where they came from

Information provided by the National Christmas Tree Association.

  • 2010: Christopher Botek, Pennsylvania, Douglas Fir

  • 2011: Tom and Sue Schroeder, Wisconsin, Balsam Fir

  • 2012: Rusty and Beau Estes, North Carolina, Fraser Fir

  • 2013: John Wyckoff, New Jersey, Douglas Fir

  • 2014: Christopher Botek, Pennsylvania, Concolor Fir

  • 2015: Glenn and Jay Bustard, Pennsylvania, Fraser Fir

  • 2016: Dave Vander Velden, Wisconsin, Balsam Fir

  • 2017: Jim and Diane Chapman, Wisconsin, Fraser Fir

  • 2018: Larry Smith, North Carolina, Fraser Fir

  • 2019: Larry Snyder, Pennsylvania, Douglas Fir

  • 2020: Dan Taylor, West Virginia, Douglas Fir

  • 2021: Rusty and Beau Estes, Fraser Fir

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: White House Christmas tree 2021: Staff picks Fraser fir from NC farm