The Christmas Tree Patch was established in January, 1986 when John Hall planted one acre of Eastern Red Cedar, White Pine, and Virginia Pine Christmas trees. John grew up on a farm in Bertie County, NC and after graduation from NC State University, served as an Agricultural Extension Agent and later County Extension Director for Lee County for more than 33 years. The first trees were planted for a hobby and also to prove that Choose and Cut Christmas Trees could be successfully grown in Lee County. Our first Choose and Cut trees were marketed in 1990.
Leyland Cypress, Carolina Sapphire, Blue Ice, and Irish Mint cultivars have been planted in addition to White Pine and Virginia Pine in recent years. Eastern Red Cedar, although a popular variety, has been discontinued because it dries out rapidly after being cut. Red Cedar has been replaced with Leyland Cypress which is a much better quality tree. Leyland Cypress will last for up to six weeks in the home and will shed very few needles when the tree is removed from the home.
Our goal at the Christmas Tree Patch is to produce the highest quality Choose and Cut trees available at reasonable prices. We only plant the number of trees that we can successfully manage. We are not a large producer, but our quality cannot be surpassed. Each tree is hand pruned and sheared to perfection. We have many satisfied customers who have been using our Christmas trees since 1990.