Where To Find A Christmas Tree In Sarasota: 2024 Guide

SARASOTA, FL — If you’re planning to put up a live Christmas tree this year, it’s a good idea to scope out what will be available from Sarasota-area tree lots.

• Evie’s Tree Lot, 4735 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. Contact for hours.
• Southwest Florida Christmas Trees, 3000 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota, and 1600 Banyan Drive, Venice. Call to confirm hours and locations.
• St. John’s Church Tree Lot, 6611 Proctor Road, Sarasota. Contact for hours.

Many Home Depot and Lowe’s stores also sell pre-cut Christmas trees. Call your local store to confirm what they have available.

Recent data from the American Christmas Tree Association’s 2024 Consumer Report shows 99 percent of survey respondents intend to display at least one Christmas tree in their homes this year, and among them, 22 percent will opt for a live tree.

According to PickYourOwnChristmasTree, real trees will cost about $13 a foot, depending on the type of tree. At that cost, a typical 7-foot tree would cost about $90.

Years of extreme weather — drought conditions in some parts of the country and excess moisture in others — have affected Christmas tree farms.

This year, attention is focused on the Northeast, where tree farmers are struggling under severe drought conditions that are killing off young trees and could cause future shortages.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, about a fourth of the region was in severe to extreme drought, which hits young trees especially hard. It typically takes a tree seven or eight years to grow to the desirable height for decorating.

“Christmas tree farms in the Northeast have, unfortunately, been hit with drought conditions that will impact the crop for several years to come,” American Christmas Tree Association executive director Jami Warner told CNN.

“While consumers will be able to find their Christmas trees this season, some growers in the Northeast will not be able to harvest as many trees as they have in past non-drought years,” Warner said.