Life
Where to Cut Down Your Own Christmas Tree in Southwest Missouri
There’s more to Christmas tree farms than just finding the perfect natural tree to be the centerpiece of your Christmas decor. Here’s some more of what our 417-land tree farms have on offer.
By Blake Haynes, Jamie Thomas and Katie Pollock Estes
Oct 2021
Photo courtesy ShutterstockPick the perfect pine at a local Christmas tree farm.
There’s a certain charm to getting a real Christmas tree. Sure, it’s more convenient to pull out the fake tree every year, the plastic branches getting ever-more bent each time you do, the faux-forest green losing its luster through years of use, but it’s never the same. Getting a real tree means the opportunity to visit a Christmas tree farm. Wandering through rows of trees to find the perfect pine is a most wonderful family activity for the most wonderful time of the year. Here are a few tree farms you can visit to not only find your tree, but enjoy some seasonal treats, too.
Bridgestone Christmas Tree Farm
9581 County Lane 251, Webb City, 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. They also offer pre-cut trees. Indulge in your visit to the farm with a hayride, hot chocolate, cider, and a Christmas train 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.
Cole’s Tree Farm
23100 Highway OO, Lebanon, 417-588-3008
It’s a pine party here! At Cole’s Tree Farm you can cut your own Scotch Pine, Virginia Pine or White Pine. Cole’s is the optimal tree farm for those who know just what they’re looking for––but you might not leave with just a tree. Your front door and mantel deserve some love, too, and luckily, Cole’s has wreaths and garland. Customers can pay with cash or check only.
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 or reindeer train, stop at the gift shop, visit the kids’ corner, have family pictures taken in the sleigh and see Christmas light and nativity displays.
Starr Pines Christmas Tree Farm
21298 Pleasant Hill Road, Booneville, 660-882-6858
Starr Pines offers both traditional pines and varying firs to meet all of your tree needs. Their pines are $6.50 per foot and their firs are $10 per foot. You can also check out the festive wreaths and gifts in the giftshop. This year, there will be no public access inside the barn and will instead take place outside. Mask wearing is highly recommended and hot cider can be purchased by the carton.
Wonderland Tree Farm
14821 Miser Road, Pea Ridge, Arkansas, 479-212-2964
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.
