Topeka ? Kansas may be the Sunflower State, but Christmas tree growers also are taking root.

Harvesting Christmas trees in Kansas has become about a $10 million-a-year business, according to Phil Wegman, president of the Kansas Christmas Tree Growers Assn.

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“Our Kansas Christmas trees are the freshest you can get, and a freshly cut, locally grown Christmas tree will easily last from mid-November all the way through the holiday season if it’s properly cared for,” Wegman said.

Wegman’s comments came as Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announce-ed that the official tree of the governor’s mansion would come from rural Lawrence.

The 8-foot-tall Scotch pine — arriving today at Cedar Crest — was grown at Prairie Elf Christmas Trees, 765 E. 750 Road.

“I hope the arrival of this beautiful tree at Cedar Crest will inspire other Kansans to make a Kansas-grown tree part of their holidays,” Sebelius said. “It’s an opportunity to buy a good, fresh product while supporting our Kansas growers.”

Kathy Heeb, owner of Prairie Elf Christmas Trees, said she was thrilled to provide a tree to Sebelius and her family.

“It is truly an honor,” Heeb said.

Heeb said she had about 5,000 trees on seven acres near Lone Star that she has been operating for about five years.

The tree going to Cedar Crest normally would cost $100, plus another $20 for delivery in the Lawrence area, but is being provided free to the state’s first family by tradition. Because Prairie Elf Christmas Trees played host to the association’s annual meeting in June, Heeb landed the yuletide responsibility.

Kathy Heeb and her dog, Rudy, prepare to bid farewell to an 8-foot-tall Scotch Pine that will be cut down today and hauled to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' residence. Heeb's Prairie Elf Christmas Trees, near Lone Star, is among the Christmas tree growers in Kansas hoping to cash in on the holidays.

“It’s really exciting that one of our trees is going into such a prestigious home,” Heeb said.

Sebelius’ Christmas tree also will be used to pump up Kansas agritourism. The stand to hold the tree was made at Cedar Valley Treeholders in Louisburg.

“It’s never too late to create a family tradition,” Wegman said. “You can take your family out to the nearest Christmas tree farm, stroll through the tree plantation, and select and cut the perfect tree for the holidays.”

There are about 100 Christmas tree growers in the state, many of whom are expanding their services to provide family outings that include hay rides, light displays, hot apple cider and visits from Santa.

“Christmas tree farms and the activities that go with them are a good example of agritourism,” Sebelius said.

The most commonly grown tree in Kansas is Scotch pine, followed by Austrian pine and white pine.

Kansas also is home to the magazine Christmas Trees, which is described by its Lecompton publisher, Charles Wright, as the world’s leading Christmas tree growers’ magazine.

Wright said the tree-growing business in Kansas “is not too bad,” but some growers, such as himself, had to get out because of a disease called pine wilt that had afflicted Scotch pines in the Midwest.

The state tree growers’ association, he said, is trying to develop new species of trees that will grow well in the Kansas climate.