Christmas Tree Farms near Houston

Houston is not natural Christmas tree country, so the farms that grow trees here are small, family-run and spread out in every direction: Manvel to the south, Hockley and Bellville to the west, Spring and Willis to the north, Livingston to the northeast. Most grow Virginia pine, the tree that handles Texas heat best. It has a looser, more open shape than the Fraser firs sold at city lots, which leaves room for ornaments. If you want a fir, several farms also sell pre-cut Fraser firs brought in from North Carolina.

When to go

Almost every farm opens on Thanksgiving weekend. Holiday Acres opens on Friday, November 27, and Dewberry Farm starts its Christmas season on November 21. Texas-grown trees are limited, and in a dry year the best cut-your-own trees can be gone by the second weekend of December. If you want to cut in the field rather than pick a pre-cut tree, go on one of the first two weekends.

What it costs

Few farms post their prices before opening day. The ones that do give a fair idea: Old Time Christmas Tree Farm in Spring charged about $85 for a 5-foot tree and $379 or more for a 12-foot tree last season. Entry is free at most farms, and the saw, shaking and tying the tree to your car are usually included. Dewberry is the exception: it is a ticketed farm park, so you pay to get in.

Which farm suits you

• Closest to the city: Holiday Acres in Manvel (south) and Old Time in Spring (north) are both under an hour from downtown.
• A full day out with small kids: Dewberry Farm, which adds a hay-wagon ride through a trail of lights, Santa and farm activities.
• A small, old-fashioned family farm: Oh What Fun It Is in Willis, handy for The Woodlands and Conroe.
• The widest choice of trees: Double Creek Farm, with cut-your-own pines and cypress plus pre-cut firs and spruce. It is about an hour and a half away.

Wear closed shoes, since the rows can be muddy after rain, and measure your ceiling before you leave home: a tree always looks smaller in the field.