Billy Ball Explains NC: The great NC Christmas tree comeback

By Billy Ball, Staff Reports

December 9, 2025

NC Christmas tree farms lost thousands of trees when Helene rolled through western NC in 2024. But wherever you look in 2025, those tree farms say they’re bouncing back.

In this week’s “Billy Ball Explains NC,” a holiday miracle: The resurgence of North Carolina’s Christmas tree farms a year after Helene.

“Billy Ball Explains NC” premieres every Wednesday on YouTube. Make sure to follow Cardinal & Pine on YouTube so you won’t miss an episode.

(Correction: Shepherd’s Way Farm is in Ashe County, near the Alleghany County line.)

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Authors

Billy Ball

Billy Ball is Cardinal & Pine's senior newsletter editor. He’s covered local, state, and national politics, government, education, criminal justice, the environment, and immigration in North Carolina for almost two decades. His reporting and commentary have earned state, regional, and national awards. He's also the founder of The Living South, a journalism project about the most interesting people in the American South.

Have a story tip? Reach Billy at [email protected]. For local reporting that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Billy’s newsletter.

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