NC State University Christmas Tree Research and Extension Programs

	North Carolina State University Christmas Tree Research and Extension Programs

Christmas tree production in North Carolina is made up of two distinct regions – the mountains where Fraser fir is predominately grown, and the piedmont and coastal plain where a wide variety of conifers are grown including Leyland cypress, Virginia pine, white pine, eastern red cedar, and others. Christmas tree research and extension programs at North Carolina State University cover all aspects of production and marketing and are collaboratively conducted across several departments and two colleges. Work is conducted on the main campus in Raleigh, as well as the Mountain Horticultural Research and Extension Center in Mills River near Asheville.

Specialists with programs impacting Christmas trees include:

Dr. John Frampton, Christmas tree geneticist
Dr. Ron Gehl, soil scientist
Dr. Fred Hain, entomologist
Dr. Dennis Hazel, Christmas tree specialist for eastern species
Dr. Eric Hinesley (semi-retired), Christmas tree research
Dr. Kelly Ivors, plant pathologist
Dr. Joe Neal, weed scientist
Jeff Owen, Christmas tree specialist for western North Carolina
Samantha Rich, tourism
Dr. Charles Safely, economist
Dr. Jill R. Sidebottom, mountain conifer integrated pest management
Stacy Tomas, agritourism

For more information on individual programs, see individual project leaders’ web sites.

Contacts for Christmas Tree Research and Programs

NC State University and NC Cooperative Extension Christmas Tree Website
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/Christmastrees/

Web Crafter: Anne S. Napier ~ Email: anne_napier@ncsu.edu

Updated November 6, 2009