Check Out These MN State Fair-Winning Christmas Tree Farms

MINNESOTA — 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 Minnesota area tree growers.

There are more than 16,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States, stretching over 292,050 acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Larger tree farms control about 75 percent of the supply, but if you’re interested in supporting a local business this holiday season, here are some Minnesota State Fair-award-winning places to chop or pick out a tree within driving distance of the Twin Cities metro area:

• Jan's Christmas Trees — Clear Lake, MN
• Krueger's Christmas Trees of Lake Elmo
• Cornerstone Pines — Grey Eagle, MN
• Hansen Tree Farm — Saint Paul, MN
• Jan's Christmas Trees — Clear Lake, MN
• KTrees — Hutchinson, MN
• Wolcyn Tree Farms & Nursery — Cambridge, MN

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.