White House Christmas tree came from Helene-devastated tree farm

Hurricane Helene wrought devastation on the Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, where the Cartner family has been growing trees for more than six decades. 

The storm, which killed more than 100 people when it reached western North Carolina in late September, destroyed thousands of trees — but not all of them. First lady Jill Biden on Monday unveiled one of the surviving trees, a 20-foot Fraser fir, as this year’s White House Christmas tree. 

“The Cartner family lost thousands of trees in the storm, but this one remained standing,” the first lady said Monday, accompanied by grandson Beau Biden, Jr. “And they named it Treemendous for the extraordinary hope that it represents.” 

Members of the North Carolina National Guard who worked on hurricane recovery efforts were welcomed to the White House Monday, along with their families. 

The Fraser fir will be displayed in the White House’s Blue Room, where hundreds of holiday visitors to the White House will have a chance to see it during Mr. Biden’s final holiday season in office. 

It was a multi-holiday event day at the White House, where only hours earlier, President Biden pardoned turkeys Peach and Blossom in an annual Thanksgiving tradition.