CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) - Christmas tree growers in South Carolina have good reason to be cheerful this season.
Steve Penland of the South Carolina Christmas Tree Association says the state's tree sales were up 15 percent last year, and growers are expecting another strong showing.
Former Clemson University professor George Kessler has been growing Christmas trees in South Carolina since 1971. He says people love to buy real Christmas trees as they celebrate traditions they recall from childhood.
Kessler also says it's better for the environment to buy a fresh-cut, locally grown tree than one that's been shipped from a distance.
The National Christmas Tree Association says South Carolina has nearly 2,000 acres devoted to Christmas tree production and harvests approximately 30,000 trees per year.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
