The North Carolina Mountain Farms That Grew White House Christmas Trees, and the Ones You Can Visit

Every December, a Christmas tree of roughly 18 to 19 feet stands in the Blue Room of the White House. It has to reach the ceiling, where the chandelier’s power source sits once the chandelier comes down for the season. Since 1966, members of the National Christmas Tree Association have supplied that tree. Growers earn the job by winning a state or regional contest, then a national one where growers, industry experts and consumers vote. The Grand Champion supplies the White House, and the Reserve Champion supplies the vice president’s residence.

North Carolina has won that honor 16 times, according to the NC Christmas Tree Association. The first was in 1971. The most recent were back-to-back wins in 2023 and 2024. Every one of those trees came from the High Country counties of Ashe, Avery, Alleghany and Mitchell. The streak paused after that: the 2025 tree came from Michigan, and the 2026 tree from Wisconsin.

Most of these winning farms are working wholesale operations that don’t sell to the public. A few do. Below is every farm on North Carolina’s list, newest first, with a plain answer on whether you can buy a tree there, and how. For each one that sells, you’ll find the 2026 details that are actually posted, and a clear note where they aren’t.

Where you can actually buy a tree from a White House farm in 2026

Farm	How you buy	Location	2026 dates	Phone
Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm	Choose-and-cut (staff cut)	Newland	Posted: Nov. 21 and 22, Nov. 26 through 29, Dec. 5 and 6	828-387-0681
Mistletoe Meadows	Choose-and-cut, plus 3 retail lots	Laurel Springs; Asheboro, Garner, Pinehurst	Not posted yet (Fri. to Sun. pattern)	336-465-9754
Cline Church Nursery	Pre-cut Christmas Market	Fleetwood	Black Friday through mid-December; hours not posted	(336) 877-4237
Mountain Top Fraser Fir	Retail lots only	Hickory, Lenoir	Not posted yet	828-260-0718 (Hickory)
River Ridge Tree Farms	Retail lot only	Mooresville	Not posted yet	336-982-3953

10. The earliest winners (Avery, Alleghany, Ashe and Mitchell counties)

North Carolina’s first six Blue Room trees came from growers in Avery County (1971 and 1990), Alleghany County (1973), Ashe County (1982 and 1984) and Mitchell County (1993). The association’s list gives grower names, not farm names, so these winners can’t be matched to any farm open today.

The 1971 tree mattered more than most. It was the first time a Fraser fir was chosen as the official White House tree. The year after, more than 400,000 Fraser firs were harvested. By 1979, that number had tripled to 1.4 million. That growth is a big reason a drive through the High Country in December passes field after field of firs.

One more detail from NC State Extension’s history: the 1990 Avery County growers sent that year’s tree to the White House themselves. You can see the full year-by-year record on the association’s previous winners page.

9. Grouse Ridge Christmas Trees (Grassy Creek)

The association’s winners list puts the 1997 Blue Room tree in Ashe County. The grower named on that list matches the contact for Grouse Ridge Christmas Trees in Grassy Creek. The match is by name, since the list doesn’t name the farm itself.

Grouse Ridge was established in 1990. It’s wholesale only, with no choose-and-cut, so it’s here for the record, not the road trip.

8. Atwood Dollar Hudler Tree Farms (near West Jefferson)

A 1995 White House photo caption describes that year’s Blue Room tree as an 18½-foot Fraser fir from Atwood Dollar Hudler Tree Farms near West Jefferson. The association’s list confirms a 1995 winner from Ashe County.

There’s no current association listing for this farm, and no sign that it sells to the public. Treat it as history. West Jefferson itself is worth the stop, especially on parade day, Nov. 14, 2026.

7. Smokey Holler Tree Farm (Laurel Springs)

The 2005 Blue Room tree was an 18-foot Fraser fir from Smokey Holler Tree Farm in Laurel Springs, presented to President and Mrs. Bush by the farm family. The farm dates to 1972.

The name has a good story. The young trees were first seen on a foggy day down in the hollow. On the next sunny day, they looked a bit worse than they had in the fog. The smoky hollow stuck.

Smokey Holler grows Fraser fir, white pine, concolor and Canaan fir, all for wholesale. It doesn’t sell to visitors. If you’re in Laurel Springs for a tree, Mistletoe Meadows is in the same community and does offer choose-and-cut.

6. Peak Farms (Jefferson)

Peak Farms has put two trees in the Blue Room. The 2012 tree was a 19-foot Fraser fir. The farm won again in 2021. Local coverage that year counted 2008 as well, since one of the Peak Farms owners was a partner in the River Ridge operation credited with that tree.

The farm has grown trees since 1979 and now has more than 400,000 Christmas trees in the ground. It’s a big part of why Ashe County dominates North Carolina’s White House record.

It doesn’t sell to visitors. Peak Farms is wholesale only, with no choose-and-cut, so don’t drive out to it. If you want a reason to be in this corner of Ashe County, the West Jefferson Christmas Parade is on Sat., Nov. 14, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m.

5. River Ridge Tree Farms (Crumpler, with a lot in Mooresville)

The 2008 Blue Room tree came from River Ridge Farms in Crumpler, according to a White House photo caption from that season. The farm earned it through two contests. In August 2007, the NC Christmas Tree Association named River Ridge its Grand Champion Fraser Fir Farm. At the summer 2008 national contest, the farm’s 8-foot Fraser fir won the blue ribbon in the true fir category, and River Ridge was named Grand Champion Grower of all species.

River Ridge was founded in 1983. Its trees grow on land across northwest North Carolina and southwest Virginia. The mountain farm is wholesale only, with no choose-and-cut.

To buy one of its trees, go to the River Ridge retail lot at 116 Morrison Plantation Pkwy. in Mooresville. 2026 dates and hours aren’t posted yet. Call 336-982-3953 to ask whether the lot is opening this year.

4. Mountain Top Fraser Fir (Newland, with lots in Hickory and Lenoir)

On Sept. 24, 2018, White House officials came to this Avery County farm to choose the Blue Room tree. They picked a Fraser fir 19 feet tall, weighing about 800 pounds. The grower’s family presented it at the White House on Nov. 19, 2018, and it went up in the Blue Room for the season.

Mountain Top was established in 1977. The farm itself doesn’t offer choose-and-cut, so skip the drive to Newland. The association lists two Mountain Top retail lots in the foothills instead. One is in Hickory at Startown Plaza, 2045 US Hwy 70 SE. The other is in Lenoir at 701 Pennton Ave.

The association’s Lenoir lot listing mentions Fraser firs, wreaths, garland, tree stands, machine shaking, tree baling and homemade ornaments, but no hours. No 2026 dates or prices are posted for either lot. Call the Hickory lot at 828-260-0718 before you go.

3. Cline Church Nursery (Fleetwood)

Cline Church Nursery in Ashe County was named the 2023 Grand Champion Grower, which sent its Fraser fir to the Blue Room that year. The nursery formed by 1977 and harvested its first trees in 1981. What started small is now a 700-acre tree farm off US 221.

You can’t cut your own here. The tree farm doesn’t offer choose-and-cut. What you can do is shop the nursery’s Christmas Market at the garden center, which sells its own fresh-cut trees, fresh-made wreaths and garland, and hand-made bows. The association’s retail listing also mentions live trees, both balled-and-burlapped and potted, if you want to plant yours after the holidays.

The market is open to the public from Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 27 in 2026, through mid-December. Exact 2026 market hours aren’t posted yet. The garden center’s general hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Prices aren’t posted either.

Think of this as a tree lot run by a champion grower, not a walk in the fields. Call (336) 877-4237 for 2026 hours, or check the garden center page.

2. Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm (Newland)

This Avery County farm grew the most recent North Carolina tree to stand in the Blue Room, in 2024. The winner was a 25-year-old Fraser fir, 20 feet tall and 12 feet around. It won in a rough year. The farm lost thousands of trees to mudslides during Hurricane Helene, a few months before the tree went to Washington.

Cartner’s has grown Fraser firs for wholesale and choose-and-cut customers since 1959. Choose-and-cut works a little differently here. You pick the tree, and the staff cut it. They can also prep it for your stand, bale it and tie it to your vehicle. The association’s listing shows wreaths, garland, boughs, restrooms, baling, refreshments and Santa Claus on site.

The farm has posted its 2026 choose-and-cut days: Nov. 21 and 22, Nov. 26 through 29, and Dec. 5 and 6, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 26 is Thanksgiving Day, and it’s on the list. The farm has posted its 2026 price list. A tree up to 5 feet is $45, a 7-footer is $100, and a 14-footer is $450. If you want a tree 10 feet or taller, the farm asks you to email ahead to reserve one.

With only eight open days, build the trip around the calendar, not the other way around. Check the farm’s choose-and-cut page before you drive, or call 828-387-0681.

1. Mistletoe Meadows (Laurel Springs)

The founder of Mistletoe Meadows won the national contest that sent the 2007 White House tree to Washington. The association counts it among its Ashe County winners. The farm sits in the small mountain community of Laurel Springs, 5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This is the most complete visitor setup of any farm on the list. You can cut on the farm, or buy at one of three retail lots in Asheboro, Garner and Pinehurst. The farm grows Fraser fir, white pine, blue spruce, concolor, Leyland cypress and Norway spruce for choose-and-cut. The association listing describes a heated barn with family restrooms, free refreshments, a free wreath with each tree and free hayrides. Staff will load your tree into or onto your vehicle.

The farm has posted its 2026 choose-and-cut dates: Nov. 20-22, Nov. 25 and Nov. 27-29 (closed Thanksgiving Day), Dec. 5-6 and Dec. 12-13, from 9 a.m. to dark. The farm’s 2026 page says trees range from 3 to 13 feet, and an average 6- to 7-foot tree is $85.

Can’t make a weekend? The association listing says other days are available by appointment. Call 336-465-9754, and watch the Laurel Springs page for 2026 dates.

Every North Carolina White House Blue Room tree, and whether you can buy from that farm

Year	County	Farm	Public
1971	Avery	Not named on NCTA list	Not identified
1973	Alleghany	Not named on NCTA list	Not identified
1982	Ashe	Not named on NCTA list	Not identified
1984	Ashe	Not named on NCTA list	Not identified
1990	Avery	Not named on NCTA list	Not identified
1993	Mitchell	Not named on NCTA list	Not identified
1995	Ashe	Atwood Dollar Hudler Tree Farms	No listing found
1997	Ashe	Grouse Ridge Christmas Trees	Wholesale only
2005	Alleghany	Smokey Holler Tree Farm	Wholesale only
2007	Ashe (Laurel Springs)	Mistletoe Meadows	Choose-and-cut + 3 retail lots
2008	Ashe	River Ridge Tree Farms	Wholesale at farm; Mooresville retail lot
2012	Ashe	Peak Farms	Wholesale only
2018	Avery	Mountain Top Fraser Fir	No choose-and-cut; Hickory & Lenoir retail lots
2021	Ashe	Peak Farms	Wholesale only
2023	Ashe	Cline Church Nursery	Retail Christmas market (pre-cut)
2024	Avery	Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm	Choose-and-cut (staff cut)

Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm choose-and-cut prices (2025 list, the latest posted)

Height	Price
Up to 5 ft	45
6 ft	85
7 ft	100
8 ft	135
9 ft	170
10 ft	200
11 ft	240
12 ft	300
13 ft	350
14 ft	450

When to go

• Cartner’s is the only winning farm with confirmed 2026 dates: Nov. 21 and 22, Nov. 26 through 29, and Dec. 5 and 6, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Mistletoe Meadows runs choose-and-cut on Friday through Sunday weekends. Its 2026 calendar isn’t posted yet.
• Cline Church’s market runs from Black Friday, Nov. 27, 2026, through mid-December.
• The Ashe County Chamber calendar lists the West Jefferson Christmas Parade for Sat., Nov. 14, 2026, from 2 to 4 p.m.

What to check ahead

None of the visitable farms require tickets. A phone call still saves a wasted drive in a few cases. Call Mistletoe Meadows if you need a day outside its set weekends, since it offers other days by appointment. Call Cline Church for 2026 market hours. Call the Mountain Top lots in Hickory and Lenoir and the River Ridge lot in Mooresville, none of which have posted 2026 opening dates.

What to bring

• Your ceiling height, measured before you leave home.
• Tie-downs or cargo room. Cartner’s and Mistletoe Meadows both say staff will load your tree, and Cartner’s will also bale it, prep it for your stand and tie it down.
• Questions about payment, dogs and accessibility. None of the farms post those policies, so ask when you call.

Getting there

Ashe County is 86 miles from Winston-Salem and 118 miles from Charlotte, according to the county chamber. US 421, US 221, NC 16 and NC 88 are the main routes in, with four-lane travel all the way from I-77 to Jefferson. For Newland and Cartner’s, take NC 105 S from Boone or NC 181 N from Morganton. Laurel Springs sits 5 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Road and weather

Sections of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway often close to cars in winter because of snow and ice. Stick to US and NC highways in December, and check the Park Service’s winter information for current closures if you plan to use it. Final Helene repairs between mileposts 344 and 355 are slated to finish by the end of 2026, but that stretch is south of the tree farm counties. Mountain roads ice over fast, so pack warm layers and give yourself daylight for the drive home.

North Carolina’s White House streak runs through a small set of mountain counties, and most of the farms behind it never open their gates to the public. That makes the ones that do worth planning around. Cartner’s lets you pick a tree from the farm that grew the 2024 Blue Room fir, on eight posted days. Mistletoe Meadows adds hayrides and a heated barn once its 2026 dates go up. Cline Church sells its champion-grown trees pre-cut from Black Friday on. Call ahead, measure your ceiling and leave the Parkway for another season.

Photo credits

• Soil22.jpg by Soil Science from Raleigh, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mount Jefferson-27527-2.jpg by Ken Thomas, Public domain (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Avery County Courthouse in Newland.jpg by Mark Clifton, CC BY-SA 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Post office in Laurel Springs, North Carolina.jpg by Indy beetle, CC0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown West Jefferson on a November evening.jpg by Bonita L. Harless, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.