Where to find your Christmas tree in Greater Lansing
MASON — Mel Koelling, the owner of Tannenbaum Farms, is looking forward to starting the Christmas tree season, while those hoping to find a perfect fir or spruce may want to visit a tree farm as soon as possible.
"Demand is strong," Koelling said of the wholesale trees the farm ships to retailers. "We've had a lot of pre-season interest."
Many Greater Lansing families will spend Friday looking for that special tree. Yet some local Christmas tree growers worry about their ability to service everyone because demand seems to be surpassing the local availability of Christmas trees.
An Eaton Rapids Christmas tree farm is closed this holiday season so that its trees can grow. Bill Lindberg, Michigan State University Extension official in Ottawa County with a specialty in Christmas trees, cites an increase in demand for live trees during the pandemic as one possible cause.
Lindberg said that a limited number of farms may need to shut for a year, and across the industry there may be earlier closing dates than normal and customers may notice roped-off areas set aside for trees to grow.
Ann D'Lamater, co-owner of D'Lamater's Winter-Fresh Christmas Tree Farm in Leslie, said that because of the tree shortage farms might not be able to provide exactly what someone is looking for.
"We don't carry trees over 8-foot," she said. "Some people are looking for trees that are 12-foot, and because of the tree shortage we don't have that."
Lindberg, along with Bert Cregg at the Michigan State University Department of Horticulture and Department of Forestry offer some advice for those looking to purchase a real Christmas tree this year.
They recommend shopping early and being willing to visit several farms if a specific type of tree is wanted. Here are some Christmas tree farms in the Greater Lansing area.
Anna Lovisa Tree Farm
10717 Babcock Road, Bath
Anna Lovisa Tree Farm will open Friday. Opening day hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. After that, they will be open on weekdays, from 12:30 p.m. to dark, and weekends, 9:30 a.m. to dark. Anna Lovisa also offers handmade, custom wreaths that are made on site.
Go to annalovisa.com for more details.
Clinton Trail Tree Farms
6120 S. Clinton Trail, Eaton Rapids
Clinton Trail Tree Farms is opening Saturday, and opening day hours will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Clinton Trail Tree Farms also offers wreath orders and will drill and wrap trees.
For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/p/Clinton-Trail-Tree-Farm-100063698522257/
D'Lamater's Winter-Fresh Christmas Tree Farm
1002 Kinneville Road, Leslie
D'Lamater's will open Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for early season access. Hours are 12 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Free tree drilling, tree bags and other services are also offered. The farm is cash only.
Go to sites.google.com/sites/dlamaterschristmastreefarm for more information.
Discount Tree Farms
4138 Clark Road, Bath
Discount Trees re-opens Saturday to Christmas Eve. They will be open 9 a.m. to dark on Sunday and weekends. Weekday hours are 12 p.m. to dark. The farm offers pre-cut and potted trees and will offer tractor rides on weekends.
Go to discount-trees.com to learn more.
Howard Tree Farms
4645 W. Jacobs Road, Perry
Howard Tree Farms opens Friday with opening day hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. They are open from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The farm has refreshments available and will take a family photo for free. They also sell fresh wreaths and handcrafted items for unique gifts.
For more information: https://www.howardtreefarm.com/about.html
Horrocks Nursery Farms
1776 N. State Road (M-66), Ionia
Horrocks Nursery Farm opened Nov. 17 and is open seven days a week 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Dec. 22. Tickets can be bought for a visit to Santa and Mrs. Claus, which includes a fun house, pedal cars, a climbing wall and more.
More information can be found at: https://horrocksnursery.com/
Peacock Tree Farms
11854 Peacock Road, Laingsburg
Peacock Tree farms opened Nov. 18. Due to high demand, the farm will not be allowing customers to go into the tree fields and cut down trees and will only be offering pre-cut trees. Peacock Tree Farms also has a “Santa Experience,” where families can ride a train to Santa’s cabin for pictures and treats. The farm will be closed Thanksgiving Day and Dec. 1. Hours are 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekends. Peacock Tree Farms is closed on Mondays.
Visit https://peacockrff.com/ for more information.
Star Tree Farm
1822 Willoughby Road, Mason
Star Tree Farm opens Friday, and their season runs until Dec. 20. The farm offers u-pick, pre-cut, and potted trees. With every tree purchase, customers get free boughs, free tree shaking to remove dead needles and bugs, and free tree wrapping. The farm also provides the saw and cart for tree cutting. Also for sale are handmade wreaths, maple syrup and bonfire wood. Star Tree Farm is open 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The farm is closed on Sunday.
More information can be found at: https://startreefarm.com/?fbclid=IwAR0f6nUegsI-IAI2R1-yNiohRlTVyElqiBtaRRYn5Glr12AACmJ45R9YbWM
Tannenbaum Farms
2515 Sandhill Road, Mason
Tannenbaum Farms offers the typical U-cut and pre-cut trees, but wreaths, garland and ornaments are all available in their gift shop. The farm opens Friday, with opening day hours 9 a.m. to dark. Weekend hours are 9 a.m. to dark, and weekday hours are 12:30 p.m. to dark. Santa will be visiting the first two weekends of operation.
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/tannenbaumfarms/
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Where to find your Christmas tree in Greater Lansing
