Christmas tree farms face new perils
There are longer-term risks from Helene, said Justin Whitehill, who directs the Christmas Tree Genetics Program at North Carolina State University. The hurricane’s waters could worsen the spread of the water-borne root disease that was responsible for the Irish potato famine, which goes by the name phytophthora. Fraser firs, the most popular breed of Christmas tree in Ashe County, are particularly vulnerable to the disease.
