A Christmas Tree Grows In Brooklyn — Where Do You Get Yours?

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Correction: Christmas trees may not grow in Brooklyn, but they definitely will be sold here.

In our borough, the holiday season unofficially begins the minute you shove a turkey carcass into the trash bin and declare never to cook Thanksgiving dinner in a Brooklyn kitchen ever again.

With the season comes Christmas carols at the grocery store, that weekend we all avoid midtown because drunken Santas, and the hunt for the perfect tree.

Brooklynites who prefer fresh-cut Christmas trees — whether they cut down trees themselves or buy from a retail lot — shouldn’t have any trouble finding them in 2022, according to a survey of Christmas tree growers by an industry trade group.

“The real Christmas tree industry met demand last year, and it will meet demand this year,” Marsha Gray, executive director of the Real Christmas Tree Board, said in a news release. “This is essentially a year without surprises.”

The prediction by the Real Christmas Tree Board comes after a survey of 55 wholesalers that supply two-thirds of the market for fresh trees and 1,500 U.S. adults ages 21-49.

The Real Christmas Tree Board website has collected a list of big-name places in Brooklyn to buy Christmas trees, which include the Bed-Stuy Home Depot at 230 Nostrand Ave. and the Lowes at 118 Second Ave. Gowanus

But for many Brooklynites, the real answer is "the closest corner to my apartment where they sell trees."

That data is more difficult to compile, but we're going to give it a go. Let us know where you buy your tree every year, about how much they charge and anything else you think your neighbors should know:

(Also feel free to share your recommendations the low-key way, in the comment section below.)

Ugh, Prices

Trees, like everything else, may cost a little more this year, as growers answering the Real Christmas Tree Board’s survey said growing costs have increased. Seventy-one percent of growers said they would likely increase wholesale prices.

That means trees could cost anywhere from 5 percent to 20 percent or more. Consumers seem to be taking the expected price hikes in stride.

“While our grower survey tells us wholesale prices are likely to be higher for real Christmas trees this year, our consumer survey tells us people expected as much,” Gray said in a statement. “The good news is fans of real Christmas trees say they believe the trees are worth the price, and they are willing to pay more this year if necessary to get one — and that’s not a surprise either.”

Fun Christmas Tree History Facts

The origin of the Christmas tree can be traced to long before the advent of Christianity, according to History.com.

In ancient times, it was commonly believed the sun was a god. It appeared to be sick as daylight waned in the winter, but evergreens thriving during winter were a reminder that the sun would become strong again and lush greenery and warmth would return.

Evergreen trees were seen as a symbol of eternal life among ancient Egyptians, Hebrews and Chinese.

Pagans throughout Europe used evergreens in their homes to represent fertility and new life. Christmas trees were first used by devout Christians in Germany.

The 16th century Protestant reformer Martin Luther is believed to have added lighted candles to trees. He was composing a sermon as he walked home on a winter evening and was struck by the sight of stars twinkling above the evergreens, and recreated the scene in a tree in his family’s main room.

Matt Troutman contributed to this report