White House Christmas tree will come from western North Carolina

NEWLAND, N.C. (WTVD) -- It's official: This year's White House Christmas tree will come from western North Carolina.

It's the same area ravaged by Hurricane Helene one month ago.

A quarter of a million trees in Avery County were lost during the storm, but the selected 20-foot Fraser fir survived.

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Sam Cartner, of Cartner's Christmas Tree Farm, said it was an honor to be chosen but the real recognition should go to all the workers and volunteers helping Avery County recover from Helene.

"All the generosity that people from all around the US have shown. Coming in to help us people that lost so much in the flood," Cartner said. "We want this tree to represent the good things."

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The selected tree will be harvested on Nov. 20. And placed in the Blue Room of the White House.

This will be the fourth time in seven years that a North Carolina tree was chosen for the honor.