The trees
Mountain View sells two kinds of Christmas tree. Cypress grows in the rows, and you choose and cut your own. Fraser firs come pre-cut, roughly 6 to 9 feet tall.
Cypress, choose and cut
Cypress grows in the rows at the farm. You walk the field, pick out the tree you want and cut it yourself.
In the house
- Feel
- The foliage is soft and feathery, in flat sprays. It does not prick your hands while you decorate.
- Scent
- It has very little scent compared with a fir. That makes it a good choice if pine or fir smell is too strong for someone in your house.
- Shape
- Dense and full, with the branches close together.
- Ornaments
- The branches are softer than a fir, so lights and lighter ornaments sit best.
-
One of the young cypress trees in September 2026. -
A cypress row along a mowed lane. -
Fog over the rows.
Fraser fir, pre-cut
Roughly 6 to 9 feet
The Fraser firs come already cut. Pick one out and it is ready to take home. In the wild, Fraser fir grows only at high elevations in the southern Appalachians, including the Great Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee and North Carolina line.
In the house
- Needles
- Short, soft and flat. They are dark green on top with a silvery underside.
- Branches
- Stiff branches that turn slightly up, so they hold heavy ornaments.
- Needle hold
- It keeps its needles well when it gets water.
- Scent
- The classic fir scent most people think of at Christmas.
-
Mountain ridges in haze. -
Short, flat needles up close.
Side by side
| Cypress Choose and cut | Fraser fir Pre-cut | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get it | Walk the rows, pick one out and cut it yourself. | Already cut, ready to take home. |
| Size | You choose the tree in the field, so you choose the height. | Roughly 6 to 9 feet. |
| Needles | Soft, feathery sprays that are gentle on bare hands. | Short, soft and flat. Dark green on top, silvery underneath. |
| Scent | Very light. | The classic fir scent. |
| Ornaments | Softer branches. Lights and lighter ornaments sit best. | Stiff branches that turn slightly up and hold heavy ornaments. |
| A good pick for | A house where a strong tree smell is too much. | Heavy ornaments and anyone who wants that fir smell. |
Will it fit?
Set your ceiling height to see the tallest tree that will stand under it, with room left for the stand and the topper.
- Pre-cut Fraser firs, roughly 6 to 9 feet
- A grown-up, about 5 ft 9 in, for scale
With the ceiling at 8 feet, the tallest tree that fits is about 7 feet.
The pre-cut Fraser firs run roughly 6 to 9 feet, so look for a fir no taller than 7 feet. The same goes for a cypress in the rows.
As a rule of thumb, take your ceiling height and subtract about 1 foot for the stand and the topper. An 8 foot ceiling fits a tree up to about 7 feet.
Measure before you come
Take these three measurements at home and bring them with you.
-
Ceiling height
Measure from the floor to the ceiling right where the tree will stand. Take off about 1 foot for the stand and the topper.
-
Floor space
A full tree is wide at the bottom. The National Christmas Tree Association uses about 80 percent of the height, so a 7 foot tree can need more than 5 feet across. Measure the floor too.
-
The doorway
Measure the door you will carry it through. Take the tree in trunk first so the branches fold back as it goes.
Caring for it at home
A cut tree needs water every day to stay fresh. These steps work the same for a cypress and a Fraser fir.
-
Saw a thin slice off the base
If the trunk has been out of water for more than a few hours, cut a thin slice straight across the bottom so it can drink again.
-
Get it in water the same day
Set it in the stand and fill it up as soon as you get home, even if you decorate later.
-
Use a stand that holds enough water
Plan on about a quart of water for every inch across the trunk. A trunk 4 inches across needs a stand that holds about a gallon.
-
Check the water every day
A fresh tree drinks the most in the first week. Keep the water above the bottom of the trunk.
-
Keep it away from heat
Stand it well away from heat vents, fireplaces and space heaters, which dry a tree out fast.
-
Plain water is all it needs
You do not need to add sugar, aspirin or anything else to the water.
When to come
The farm is open on nine days this season, from November 27 to December 20, 8 am to 4 pm. The first three days are the Black Friday weekend sale. Open days depend on the weather. Check the Facebook page before you drive out.