The Fraser fir is a pyramid-shaped tree that reaches a maximum height of 80 feet and a trunk diameter of 1 1/2 feet. It grows naturally only in the southern Appalachians, above 3,000 feet. The cool temperatures and lots of rainfall of the North Carolina high country are what causes the Fraser fir to keep its needles throughout the Christmas season. The tree was named for John Fraser, a Scottish botanist who explored the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina in the late 1700s.  Over 50 million Fraser firs are grown in North Carolina on 25,000 acres for use as Christmas trees, and the Fraser fir represents over 90% of all trees grown in North Carolina as Christmas trees.