The holidays are all about tradition—baking cookies, singing carols, hanging lights. And for many, a favorite tradition is searching for and chopping down a Christmas tree. “People want to have some time as a family and go out and do all the fun things there are to do on a farm,” says Rick Dungey of the National Christmas Tree Association. In addition to forests full of trees, most farms also offer other attractions like sleigh rides, petting zoos, and gift shops.
Here’s a guide to tree farms within driving distance of Washington. Before hopping in the car, it’s smart to measure the spot where you plan to showcase the tree—when you’re out in the open trees look smaller than they do inside. Also, be sure to dress warmly, pack a thermos of hot chocolate, and wear sturdy shoes.
When you return home, place the tree in water as soon as possible and use low-heat miniature lights to prevent it from drying out. For more tips on how to care for your farm-grown tree, check out the Maryland Christmas Tree Association’s Web site. After the season is over, visit realchristmastrees.org to find a tree recycling program close to home.
In Maryland
Butler’s Orchard, 22222 Davis Mill Road, Germantown Douglas firs and white pines. Assistance and saws are available, and a country Christmas store sells wreaths, ornaments, and more. Open Tuesday through Sunday 10 to 5:30 through December 23; 10 to 4 on December 24. 301-972-3299. butlersorchard.com.
Friendship Trees, 6950 Route 778, Friendship White pines, Douglas firs, Fraser firs, and Norway spruce. Open Monday through Friday noon to 4:30; Saturday and Sunday 9 to 4:30. 301-855-5756.
Homestead Farm, 15600 Sugarland Road, Poolesville Scotch pines. A holiday farm stand sells fall squash, apples, jam, and more. Hand saws are available; power saws are not permitted. Open Saturday and Sunday 9 to 5 from December 5 through 21. 301-977-3761. homestead-farm.net.
King Farm, 24601 Stringtown Road, Clarksburg Fraser firs, white spruce, and white pine. Also pre-cut Douglas and Fraser firs. Open Saturday and Sunday 10 to 5 through December 21. 301-253-4521.
Naughty Pine Plantation, 18200 Elmer School Road, Dickerson Douglas firs. Most trees at Naughty Pine are seven feet or taller. Be sure to bring strong friends, as the farm does not remove trees from remote areas. Open Saturday and Sunday 10 to dusk through December 21. 703-336-3669. naughty-pine.com.
Pine Valley Farm, 1150 Fannie Dorsey Road, Sykesville Fraser firs, Douglas firs, Canaan firs, Concolor firs, blue spruce, and white pine. Hand saws, machine tree cleaning, and baling are available. On weekends enjoy hot chocolate, cider, and crafts. Open daily from 9 to 5. 410-795-8314. pinevalleyfarms.com.
Rocky Top Tree Farm, 26010 Long Corner Road, Gaithersburg Canaan firs and Douglas firs. Sawing, cutting, shaking, and wrapping services are available. Open Tuesday through Sunday 9 to 4:30 through December 24. 301-253-4750.
R&K Trees, 20701 Slidell Road, Boyds Douglas firs, Canaan firs, blue spruce, and homemade wreaths. Saws are available. Open Monday through Friday 3 to 5 and Saturday and Sunday 9 to 4 from December 6 to 20. 301-972-9355.
Seppi Evergreens, 7409 Queen Anne Bridge Road, Bowie Norway spruce, Douglas firs, and Fraser firs. Open daily from 9 until dark through December 25. 301-249-7412
Stockstill Trees, 4102 Old Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro Douglas firs, blue spruce, and white pines. Open Saturday and Sunday 8:30 to 4:30. 301-627-3768.
Tanner’s Enchanted Forest, 14300 Baden Westwood Road, Brandywine White pines, Scotch pines, red pines, Douglas firs, Fraser firs, Colorado spruce, Serbian spruce, and Norway spruce. Also wreaths, garlands, and potted trees. Sawing and cutting services are available. Open Saturday and Sunday 7 to 5 through December 24. 301-579-2238. tannerstrees.com.
In Virginia
Ashcroft Farm, 751 Kitchen Lane, White Post White pines, Scotch pines, Norway spruce, Douglas firs, Concolor firs, Colorado blue spruce, and white spruce. Open Friday through Sunday 10 to 4:30 through December 24, and by appointment. 540-837-1240.
Cedar Forest Inc., 6501 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria Balsam firs, Colorado blue spruce, Concolor firs, Douglas firs, Fraser firs, Scotch pines, and white pines. Sawing, shaking, cutting and wrapping services are available. Open daily 10 to 10 through December 24. 703-866-9494.
Clifton Christmas Tree Plantation, 12360 Henderson Road, Clifton Fraser firs, Scotch pines, and white pines. Also a shop with handmade wreathes, mistletoe, ribbons, and bows. Hand saws and twine are available. Open daily 10 to 4 through December 24.
Day Star Farm, 41374 Reservoir Road, Leesburg White pines, Scotch pines, Norway spruce, white spruce, and blue spruce. Open Saturday from 9 to 5 and Sunday 1 to 5 through December 14, and by appointment. 703-327-6269; daystarfarm.org
Jacobson Farm, 42518 Saint Clair Lane, Leesburg Douglas firs, Canaan firs, Scotch pines, white pines, Norway spruce, white spruce, and Colorado blue spruce. Hand saws and twine are available. Also cider, hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies on sale. Open Friday through Sunday 9 to 4. 703-777-9534.
Joe’s Trees, 5110 Cumberland Gap Road, Newport Canann firs and white pines. Also nature hikes and horse-drawn wagon tours of the farm. Open Monday through Sunday 9 until dusk and Sunday 10 until dusk through December 20. 540-544-7303. joestrees.com
A person necessarily help to make seriously articles I’d state. That is the very first time I frequented your web page and to this point? I amazed with the analysis you made to make this actual post extraordinary. Fantastic task!
order viagra online next day <a href="http://buyviagrapharmacy.info/buy-viagra-online-next-day/">cheap viagra online next day</a>
Posted by: buy Diamox, Feb 07, 2012 12:21:57 AM
It’s really a great and useful piece of info. I’m happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: buy generic flomax, Feb 06, 2012 11:16:17 PM
hello!,I like your writing so a lot! proportion we keep up a correspondence extra approximately your article on AOL? I require an expert on this area to unravel my problem. Maybe that’s you! Having a look forward to peer you.
Whoa! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a totally different topic but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Excellent choice of colors!
order Levaquin <a href="http://buygenericlist.com/buy-order-cheap-generic-levaquin-levofloxacin-online/">order Levaquin</a>
Posted by: best price priligy, Feb 06, 2012 07:48:22 PM
Hello, i think that i noticed you visited my blog so i came to “go back the favor”.I am attempting to to find things to enhance my site!I guess its adequate to use some of your ideas!!
You really make it appear really easy along with your presentation however I find this topic to be actually one thing which I feel I’d never understand. It seems too complicated and very vast for me. I’m looking ahead for your next post, I will attempt to get the hang of it!
order Celexa <a href="http://health-drugstore.com/buy-cheap-generic-celexa-online/">buy Celexa</a>
Posted by: buy lasix, Feb 06, 2012 06:18:54 PM
Hi there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely loving the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Superb blog and outstanding design and style.
order generic famvir <a href="http://genericrxdrug.com/buy-generic-famvir-order-online/">order generic famvir</a>
Posted by: buying pharmacy canada, Feb 06, 2012 03:43:41 PM
Interesting blog post. A few things i would like to bring about is that personal computer memory is required to be purchased but if your computer cannot cope with what you do by using it. One can put in two good old ram boards of 1GB each, as an example, but not certainly one of 1GB and one of 2GB. One should check the manufacturer’s documentation for one’s PC to ensure what type of ram is essential.
generic viagra online uk no <a href="http://buyviagrapharmacy.info/buy-viagra-online-uk-no/">order viagra online uk no</a>
Posted by: for sale priligy, Feb 06, 2012 02:44:25 PM
There are certainly numerous particulars like that to take into consideration. That is a nice point to carry up. I offer the ideas above as general inspiration however clearly there are questions like the one you convey up the place the most important factor can be working in trustworthy good faith. I don?t know if best practices have emerged around issues like that, but I’m sure that your job is clearly identified as a fair game. Both girls and boys feel the impact of only a moment’s pleasure, for the remainder of their lives.
order viagra from canada <a href="http://buyviagrapharmacy.info/order-viagra-from-canada/">order viagra from canada</a>
Posted by: buy Cartia, Feb 06, 2012 12:48:06 PM
Hi, Neat post. There’s a problem with your website in internet explorer, would test this… IE still is the market leader and a large portion of people will miss your excellent writing due to this problem.
Posted by: buy generic aventyl, Feb 06, 2012 11:51:56 AM
I would like to add that in case you do not surely have an insurance policy or maybe you do not participate in any group insurance, you may well benefit from seeking aid from a health broker. Self-employed or people who have medical conditions generally seek the help of the health insurance brokerage. Thanks for your short article.
Posted by: internet pharmacy australia, Feb 06, 2012 08:17:21 AM
Thanks for your write-up on this blog. From my own experience, occasionally softening upward a photograph could provide the digital photographer with a bit of an creative flare. Many times however, that soft blur isn’t what precisely you had under consideration and can sometimes spoil a normally good snapshot, especially if you consider enlarging them.
Posted by: buy now priligy, Feb 06, 2012 07:17:16 AM
Thanks for your article on the vacation industry. I’d personally also like contribute that if your senior thinking about traveling, it truly is absolutely imperative that you buy traveling insurance for seniors. When traveling, senior citizens are at high risk of having a health-related emergency. Obtaining right insurance policies package for your age group can safeguard your health and provide peace of mind.
Posted by: generic drugstore, Feb 06, 2012 06:25:08 AM
Howdy! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Nonetheless, I’m definitely glad I found it and I’ll be bookmarking and checking back frequently!
order generic celexa <a href="http://genericrxdrug.com/buy-generic-celexa-order-online/">online generic celexa</a>
online drugstore without prescription sale discount canada http://health-drugstore.com/
Posted by: low price casodex, Feb 06, 2012 02:27:08 AM
Please do not use the phone number 703-830-2863 to reach Clifton Christmas Tree Plantation. The number above is a home residence number and not the tree plantation. Once again, please do not call the number 703-830-2863 as it is a RESIDENTIAL number. Thank you all for your time in advance and happy holidays!
Posted by: Cho, Nov 25, 2011 10:41:45 AM
Post a comment
Feel free to leave a comment or ask a question. Because of the prevalence of spam, we ask that you fill out the code in the image below to help us eliminate spam comments. By posting here, you affirm that you are 13 years of age or older. Washingtonian.com reserves the right to remove or edit content once posted.