We grow four kinds of Christmas trees on the farm and, because of popular demand, provide freshly cut Fraser firs. Most trees are $40. Fraser firs 8 feet and over are priced at $50 and up. Our trees range from 5 to 12 feet in height. As a free service to customers, trees can be baled for ease of handling and setup. Cut your own tree or have our staff cut it for you.
Norway spruce:
Available 6-8 feet tall, these trees have short needles and are very dark in color. They have stiff branches which support heavy ornaments. If you intent to get a Norway, please wait until December to cut it. These are great trees and will hold needles for six weeks or more if kept watered, but they start dropping needles in about 2 weeks if you let the water bowl dry even once.
Leyland cypress:
The Leyland cypress resemble red cedars but are lighter green. Those in the field are 7-12 feet tall. They have very soft branches and are easy to handle but they will not hold heavy ornaments at the tip.
White pine:
We have 6-9 feet tall White pines. Branches are not stiff enough to hold heavy ornaments near the tips. On the other hand, the soft twigs and needles of this species are not prickly to the hands while decorating. The drought has been very hard on many of our White pines although some still look excellent.
Virginia pine:
We have 50 Virginia pines available this year in the 7-11 foot range. This species has light green needles that are short and stiff but not nearly as prickly as Norway spruce. The branches are not as stiff as those of Fraser firs, but still hold heavy ornaments almost to the tips. An extra nice thing about Virginia pines is that the bases of the trees are narrow. An 8 foot tall tree may have a base that is only 3-4 inches in diameter. If you have ever spent 20 minutes trying to get an 8 inch diameter tree base into the 6 inch ring of a tree stand, you know one benefit of getting a Virginia pine.
Fraser fir:
As you may know, Fraser firs will not grow at our altitude. They do best at elevations over 4000 feet and our farm is less than 1000 feet. Since many people prefer this kind of tree, we bring in Fraser firs from a farm in North Carolina. The trees at this particular farm have not been hurt by the drought. They are excellent this year. We cut the Fraser firs this year on November 24th and on December 3rd and will return to cut more as needed.
Fraser firs are considered the "Cadillac of Christmas trees." They have the best aroma, stay fresh longest, have a dark green color and a combination of soft needles and stiff branches which is easy on the hands and supports heavy ornaments to the tips. We would grow Fraser firs on the farm if we could but we can't. The next best thing is to provide the freshest Fraser firs possible in the Knoxville, TN area. Our trees will still be green in March. Fraser firs shipped to major grocery store and hardware chains are cut as early as late September although mid-October is more typical.