There’s so much tradition, emotion, and hype that goes with choosing the perfect Christmas tree. For some, it truly is a Norman Rockwell moment. For others, it’s more Griswold. Check out three of our favorite places to find your perfect tannenbaum. And no matter what your experience—or type of tree you desire—may your needles never fall, may your lights always untangle, and may your tree stand hold true.
Pine Hill Farms
Take a tractor ride tour of Pine Hill Farms to find your own homegrown Leyland Cypress or Carolina Sapphire tree. They’ll even let you cut it down yourself. The farm also has a selection of fresh-cut trees that require higher elevations to grow and are imported from northern states. Varieties include Fraser, Douglas, and Concolor firs, as well as Black Hills Spruce trees. Looking for a flocked tree? This is the place to get that snowy look.
Make a day of your visit and stop in at Mary C’s Gift Shoppe to enjoy free coffee, hot chocolate, and cider while shopping for ornaments, decorations, gifts, and jewelry. Kids will love petting the live reindeer on the farm. Too busy wrapping gifts to drive? Pine Hill offers delivery.
For more information, call 205.841.6766 or visit pinehillfarms.vpweb.com.
Mountain Scouts Tree Sale
For 27 years, 10 Scout troops in the Over the Mountain area have run a Christmas tree lot at the corner of Canyon Road and Highway 31. Led each year by Operations Manager Patrick Vacarella, Chairman John Patterson, and Treasurer Mark McColl, Boy Scout members have put in countless volunteer hours to raise money for scouting programs. This year, the Scouts will sell trees in two other locations as well. A Homewood site will be set up in the parking lot of Shades Cahaba Elementary School across from the Piggly Wiggly, and a Hoover site will be in the Target parking lot on Highway 150. All three lots will offer Fraser firs, Black Hills firs, Douglas firs, and Blue Spruce trees. “We have over 5, 000 trees scheduled to arrive, ” says Patrick. “And 100 percent of the profits from tree sales goes back to the Boy Scouts to help members attend summer camps and experience quality programs.”
For more information, call 205.538.1498 or 205.283.0433, or visit the Mountain Scouts Tree Sale Facebook page.
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Carolina Christmas Tree Lot
The trio of Coke Williams, Robert Downing, and Len Murphy have been helping tree buyers make holiday memories for years at the Carolina Christmas Tree Lot. “It’s a fun, family-friendly atmosphere, ” says Coke. “The kids especially love the free candy canes and playing hide-and-seek on the lot.” Carolina Christmas offers fresh Fraser firs from Banner Elk, North Carolina, as well as handmade wreaths and garlands. As an added bonus, Len himself is the tree grower from Banner Elk and serves as the tree expert on site. This year’s lot will move a little closer to the zoo by setting up residence in the main parking lot. The tree lot will open on Thanksgiving Day and will remain open until the last tree is sold (usually around December 18).
For more information, friend Carolina Christmas Tree Lot on Facebook.
Photography by Art Meripol
