Want to find and cut your own Christmas tree this year? Here is your complete guide to Christmas tree farms in Lancaster County, PA.
Lancaster Christmas Tree Farm Map
Not sure where to go? We’ve created an interactive Lancaster Tree Farm map so you can find a Christmas tree farm near you. We don’t claim this to be an exhaustive list, but we did our best to find as many good choices as possible. Did we miss your favorite? Send us an email, and we’ll be happy to add it to the list.
Where to Get a Live Tree in Lancaster, PA
Heritage Tree Farm
What's even better than finding your own Christmas tree? Finding it on a horse drawn wagon ride.
Frog Hollow Evergreens
One bonus about Frog Hollow is that instead of pricing by the foot, all their trees cost $70 (tax included), regardless of variety or size.
Metzler Tree Farm
Metzler Tree Farm has a large selection of trees to choose and cut. In addition, they have a location with pre-cut trees.
Frey’s Greenhouse
Frey's has pre-cut Fraser and Douglas fir trees, wreaths, and other seasonal plants like Christmas cactus and poinsettias.
Miller's Christmas Tree Farm
Miller's hosts vendors on select days so you can grab a hot beverage or snack while searching for your tree.
Abe's Tree Farm
Abe's has choose-and-cut Christmas trees, wreaths, and fresh greens. They have saws available to use when cutting your tree.
Cut-Your-Own Tree Guide
Here are a few tips to help you claim, cut, haul, and set up your tree.
Step 1. Claim Your Tree Early (Optional)
This one is for the diehards (and no, I’m not talking about people who think Die Hard is a Christmas movie… but while we’re on the subject, of course it is!). For many places like Metzler Farms, you cannot pick up your tree until after Thanksgiving, but you can claim your tree before that. Metzler Farms began letting people “tag” their tree beginning October 1st. They have a mailbox with bright ribbon and name tags right as you enter the tree farm.
Step 2. Choose Where To Go
You may already have a favorite spot. If, however, you want to look at what else is out there, use our interactive Lancaster Christmas Tree Farm Map!
Step 3. Prepare For the Trip
Here are a few items to considering packing for your tree felling expedition.
Card AND cash
Some places, especially small family-owned farms, are cash only.
Hand Saw
Some tree farms will provide hand saws if you’d like to fell your own tree. At Metzlers, you can bring your own saw and cut your own, or just have a Metzlers staff member chop it with one of their chainsaws.
Measuring Tape
A measuring tape will help ensure that you aren’t chopping off the treetop when you are trying to set up the tree in your living room. It will also help you estimate the cost as most places price the trees by the foot.
Straps or Rope
Bringing your own set of ratchet straps is the most secure way to fasten your tree to your vehicle. If you forget or don’t have any, the tree farms will typically have twine that works in a pinch.
Tarp
If you want to protect your vehicle from scratches and sap, a tarp or old blanket is a nice bonus. Other items to consider would be a pocket knife, warm clothing, boots, gloves, and hot chocolate.
Step 4. Pick Your Tree
Now that you know where to go and what to bring, it’s time to pick the perfect Christmas tree!
Important note- unless you are only keeping your tree up for one week, don’t pick a Norway Spruce! We made this mistake in 2018. The tree looked great when we first brought it home, but by Christmas day it was almost bare. There are many varieties, but Fraser Firs and Douglas Firs are two safe bets.
Step 5. Bring It Home, Set It Up!
Once you pick your tree, the folks at the tree farm will run your tree through a Christmas tree baler to wrap and compress your tree in a tight netting sleeve before you take it home. This will make it much easier to strap to your car and to fit through the door of your house. Once you have the tree in your home and on the stand, remove the netting, turn on the Christmas music, and start decorating.
The Christmas Tree Tradition Continues
Many of us still participate in this strange holiday tradition of setting up coniferous trees in our homes. Some prefer fake trees, while others prefer real trees. Whatever the preference, the tradition is still going strong in the US.
The American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) estimates that about 75% of US households, or 94 million homes, will display a Christmas tree during the holiday season. For those who will display a tree, 83% will go with an artificial one, and 17% will get a real tree. This reflects a continued trend towards more people opting for artificial trees.
Lancaster, PA does seem to prefer real trees more than the US population at large. In our quick straw poll from the last Lancaster Review newsletter, the votes ended in a tie between those who prefer artificial trees and those who prefer to find one at a farm, with only a small percentage preferring to buy a precut tree. This makes sense considering the plethora of tree farm options that we have compared with people in more crowded metropolitan areas.
If you are looking to find a Christmas tree at a tree farm this year, we hope you enjoyed this guide to Christmas tree farms in Lancaster, PA.
