Life
Where to Cut Down Your Own Christmas Tree in Southwest Missouri
If you’re wanting to cut down a tree this year, 417-land Christmas tree farms start opening their doors again around Thanksgiving. You can find your tree at these local farms.
By Jenna Murray, Blake Haynes, Jamie Thomas and Katie Pollock Estes
Nov 2024
Photo courtesy ShutterstockPick the perfect pine at a local Christmas tree farm.
Johnson Family Farm
9545 County Lane 251, Webb City, MO, 417-529-8508
Take a day trip with the family to pick the perfect tree for your home while enjoying fun wintry Christmas activities. Choose and cut Scotch pine trees along with pre-cut white pine and fir. Indulge in your visit to the farm with a hayride, hot chocolate or cider and a Christmas train ride all included in the sale of a tree. Also available are professional pictures, visits from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus as well as field trips.
Delaware Town Christmas Tree Farm
995 Delaware Town Rd., Nixa, 417-536-1802
Growing Christmas trees since 2016, Delaware Town Christmas Tree Farm offers white pines, pitch loblolly pines and Scotts pines.
Ozark Valley Christmas Tree Farm
1090 Manning Road, Southwest City, 417-762-2276
Tree shopping doesn’t have to be grab-and-go. If you’re on the hunt for holiday festivities that the whole family can enjoy, it’s worth carving out a full day to visit Ozark Valley Christmas Tree Farm. This farm has Fraser firs, Douglas firs, white pines and Scotch pines, as well as wreaths and garlands available for purchase. Anyone who visits can hop on the holiday hayride, stop at the gift shop, see the decorated barn, visit the toy shop and have family pictures taken by a professional photographer.
Starr Pines Christmas Tree Farm
21298 Pleasant Hill Road, Boonville, 660-882-6858
Starr Pines offers both traditional pines and varying firs to meet all of your tree needs. Their pines are $8 per foot and their firs are $12 per foot. You can also check out the festive wreaths and gifts in the giftshop. Starr Pines will be open to the public everyday from 9 a.m. to dark from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Wonderland Tree Farm
14821 Miser Road, Pea Ridge, Arkansas, 866-235–0863
You won’t fall down a rabbit hole at Wonderland Tree Farm, but you might fall head over heels for one of the Christmas tree offerings here. We know this spot is a bit of a drive, but a road trip to Pea Ridge is about to become your family’s new favorite holiday tradition. At Wonderland, you can choose from a variety of evergreens, including Virginia pine, white pine, Scotch pine, Fraser fir (pre-cut), Leyland cypress and Turkish fir. Oh, and did we mention the gift shop? Definitely stop in before you leave.
Tips for Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree
There are a lot of trees out there, and your mission is to find the one that’s perfect for you and then keep it looking oh-so-fresh all season long. Here are our tips, gleaned from several years of Christmas tree farm visits (and a few mistakes made along the way).
1. Don’t Forget to Measure Your Space
After one Clark Griswold moment and a Christmas tree that scraped the ceiling, we learned our lesson. It’s the same one carpenters tout: Measure twice, cut once. Don’t be charmed by your new home’s slightly taller ceilings and assume anything will fit. Don’t trust your eyes to guess if that tree you’re staring down in the middle of a field is going to fit into your living room. Measure before you go. Measure at the farm. Measure, measure, measure.
2. Consider Your Ornaments
There are several tree varieties out there, and they all have slightly different construction. Go for something like a white pine or a Leyland Cyprus if you have light ornaments and like a tree with a feathery look. Go for something with sturdier branches like a Scotch pine or Frasier fir if you have heavier ornaments that need the support.
3. Water Your Christmas Tree Religiously
To keep your tree in tip-top shape all season, make sure you take a few easy steps. First, cut the bottom inch or so of the trunk off before setting the tree up in its stand. You want a fresh cut for maximum water absorption. Then, keep that stand full of water so your thirsty tree can hold onto its needles and look beautiful through the holiday.
Christmas Tree Farm Trip Tips
Before you head out to pick your tree, make sure you’re prepared. Warm clothes are obvious, but don’t forget boots. You should also wear durable gloves if you’ll be cutting your own tree. Having cash is always a good idea because a number of tree farms don’t take credit cards. Make sure you have a tie-down like rope or, even better, ratchet-straps to tie the tree to the roof of your car. Cover the roof of your car before loading the tree to avoid scratching the paint, and take it slow on the drive home.
What to Do After the Holidays?
When your Christmas tree is losing its needles and the holiday has long passed, it’s time to say goodbye. Haul your tree to one of these local spots to give it a little purpose in its afterlife.
