A Guide To Finding Great Christmas Trees In Boston

- By Paige LewinUnlike many other cities where you can buy a Christmas tree by walking to any corner with a wad of $20s, most Boston dwellers need to get their trees outside the city limits. Whether you want to help local kids, have a daylong adventure, or pick up a bite to eat along with the tree that you're going to trim later that night, the Boston area has plenty of choice when it comes to shopping for the perfect Fir for your family room.

Arlington Boys & Girls Club

60 Pond Lane
Arlington, MA 02474-6586
(781) 648-1617
Call for special tree sale hours
website

Belmont Lions Club

One Common Street,
Belmont, MA 02478
(617) 484-9816
Call for special tree sale hours
website

If you want to do "good" while decorating for the holidays, pick up a tree from one of the many local organizations holding sales to benefit a good cause. Both the Arlington Boys & Girls Club and the Belmont Lions Club get high marks for great trees and excellent service. Sales from the Boys & Girls Club support youth programs at the clubhouse, while purchases from the Lions Club – an organization that is known for supporting the blind and visually impaired – funds eyeglasses for residents who can't otherwise afford them.

Wilson Farm

10 Pleasant Street
Lexington, MA 02421
(781) 862-3900
Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Weekend: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
website

Russo's

560 Pleasant Street
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 923-1500
Monday – Saturday: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
website

Need to do some grocery shopping and pick up your tree at the same time? Head to Wilson Farm in Lexington or Russo's in Watertown, particularly if you need provisions for a holiday event. Both shops have beautiful trees and decorative wreaths that go beyond the red velveteen bow, and their prepared food, baked goods and fresh veggies shouldn't be missed.

Mahoney's

242 Cambridge Street
Winchester, MA 01890
(781) 729-5900
Sunday – Friday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
website

Allandale Farm

259 Allandale Road
Brookline, MA 02467
(617) 524-1531
Weekdays: 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Weekends 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
website

Known for amazing plants and flowers year round, both Allandale Farm in Brookline and Mahoney's in Winchester do not disappoint when it come to holiday greenery. While you may pay a premium for trees, wreaths and other décor, you'll get the quality to match. Among their published "bragging points," Mahoney's harvests its trees in mid-November, making them fresher than many other shops that harvest in October.

Hopestill Farm

117 Mill Street
Sherborn, MA 01770
(508) 653-5421
Open between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays; call ahead for availability
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If you want to cut your own tree, head out to Hopestill Farm in Sherborn. Hopestill opens for tree tagging and cutting on weekends from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and at other times by appointment. They have handsaws at the farm, but feel free to bring your own.

Doing all your shopping online this year? Add a tree to your list! If you're too busy to go out, open your laptop and get a tree from Maine delivered straight to your door. LLBean's wreaths and balsam trees are surprisingly affordable and delivery is always reliable.

Paige Lewin is a Boston lifer who always gets her tree two days before Christmas and leaves it up to the middle of January. Paige spends her days in academia, while at night retreats to her life as a mother, writing after the lights are out. She contributes to Boston Mamas and is the creator of Mudroom Boston. Paige lives north of Boston with her husband and two sons.