Pining for a real Christmas tree? Here’s where to pick one out in Beaufort County
Admit it. Nothing compares to the smell of a Fraser fir at Christmastime. It’s woodsy and saccharine, and wafts through a home like a memory.
While real Christmas trees aren’t convenient like those plastic-needled varieties from a store and they require a bit of love to last through the holiday, many people would argue fresh is better.
Take it from Daniel Doe Jr., co-owner of A & A Christmas Trees, who opened the day after Thanksgiving. He and his wife, Anne Doe, have already sold about 500 Fraser firs in four days. It’s typical of the business that’s been running since 1976.
“Those are the traditional ones that everyone knows, the one at the White House,” he laughed Saturday morning. “We’re on pace of selling out in the next couple of days.”
Or listen to Mark Trivett of Sugar Mountain Farms,who’s been traveling from North Carolina to Hilton Head Island to sell fresh trees for 27 years.
“They’re going fast,” he said Saturday, 30 minutes before opening time.
Then there’s Debbie Lacey of Beech Mountain Farms, who’s been selling Christmas miracles on Lady’s Island for the past 35 years. She’s pretty much down to the “last few trees.”
If Doe, Trivett and Lacey still have stock, here are the details of where to purchase (and even cut down) a real Christmas tree this year.
A & A Christmas Trees
Sure, you can buy a traditional Fraser fir at A&A Christmas Trees, but Doe offers another option. Not for the faint of heart, it requires a farm-provided handsaw (and no, you cannot bring a chainsaw).
Since the farm’s Murray cypress and white pines were babies, Doe has been shaping them to the perfect roundness. And when the time comes, customers can cut the trees down themselves to later adorn the branches with sparkling lights and kitschy ornaments.
Even though the Murray cypress doesn’t carry the signature Fraser scent, Doe said it doesn’t matter, because “locals love them.”
Want to go?
Address: 42 Old Cooler Circle in Okatie
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, until sell out
Contact: 843-304-4485
Type sold: Fraser fir, Murray cypress and white pine
Payment type: Credit, debit or cash
Beech Mountain Farms
Lacey said while the Fraser firs that come to Beech Mountain Farms’ Beaufort location from western North Carolina are going fast, there are still 5- to 6-foot and 6- to 7-foot trees left. But once they’re gone, that’s it.
Still, the farm has wreaths and garlands for extra holiday decor.
And don’t worry. It’s impossible to miss the location, as a colossal, inflatable snowman fronts the farm’s entrance.
Want to go?
Address: 91 Sea Island Parkway in Beaufort
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m daily
Contact: 828-385-2555
Type sold: Fraser fir
Payment type: Cash or local check
Sugar Mountain Farms
On Hilton Head Island, not even three miles from Folly Field Beach, Sugar Mountain Farms has Christmastime Fraser fir needs covered. Trivett, a veteran at selling the longed-for trees on the island and following in his father’s footsteps, said he doesn’t know why, but business is booming.
A North Carolinian, Trivett and others who work for the farm bring the trees down from the mountains of North Carolina.
And in keeping with the holiday spirit, a portion of the proceeds from the purchased trees goes to Hilton Head Island High School’s booster club.
Want to go?
Address: Wilborn Road on Hilton Head Island, next to island rec center
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
Contact: 828-387-1623
Type sold: Fraser fir
Payment type: Cash or local check
