This year, consumers are singing “All I Want for Christmas” is a live tree.
At least, that’s what people operating live Christmas tree lots say.
“We’re selling fast,” said Jeff Norman, who is managing the tree lot this year for the Fort Worth Optimist Club. Those proceeds go toward scholarships for Fort Worth ISD student athletes, totaling more than $30,000 last year.
The Optimist Club has sold trees at the corner of University Drive and Lancaster Avenue since 1953, but they have never seen sales at this rate, Norman said.
“The people who have been here longer than I have say they’ve never seen it like this,” he said.
The Optimist Club began its selling season the day after Thanksgiving with 740 trees. As of Dec. 12, 58 remained with operations expected to wrap up by early this week.
Better weather and tariff pressures on the price of artificial trees are contributing to strong sales at the Christmas tree lot this year, Norman said. However, sales have been climbing in recent years, he added.
“People like the experience of coming out with their families, picking out a tree and then having their home smell like Christmas this time of year,” he said.
Jeff Norman, Optimist Club president elect and tree lot manager, and Alison Norman, volunteer worker, cut the base off of a Christmas tree in Fort Worth on Dec. 12, 2025. They do this to help with holding the tree up in the stand. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
Sherman-based Christmas Designers supplies holiday decor, lighting and some artificial trees primarily to professional installers. CEO Jason Woodward said he deliberately purchased his products early this year.
“I wanted to avoid the tariffs,” he said. “Most of the lighting and all the trees — as far as I know — are either made in China or another country, so I knew costs would be increasing.”
Woodward said he insulated most of his customers from price increases this year but doesn’t know what will happen next year.
“We have to place our orders in the spring, so we’ll see what happens then,” he said.
At Santa’s Christmas Trees in Grapevine, which is part of the Amazing Grace Garden Center, owner Kevin Keck and his family have been selling trees for 40 years. He is pleased he has not had to increase prices.
“Our trees come from Oregon or the northwest, so nothing is imported,” he said.
While costs have increased some, Keck said he’s kept prices the same for the last three years.
He, too, has been busier than ever this year.
“I’m not sure what to attribute that to, but I do think a lot of the people that have just moved here are from the north, where they expect a real tree,” he said. “We’re definitely seeing that play out here.”
Keck said his location near the larger homes of Southlake, Colleyville and Westlake impacted the size of trees he sells.
“I believe we’ve sold more 9- to 11-foot trees this year than in the past, we’ve even sold some 15-footers,” he said. “A lot of those homes have space for that, and they’ll put them up.”
More than just selling trees, Keck said his crew is focused on the customer experience, making the lot an adventure for the young children who come with their parents.
“We also offer several services that make it easier to have a live tree,” he said.
Along with trimming the trunk, Keck’s business will mount it on a stand and can even provide a bag that customers can place under the tree so they can dispose of it after the holidays.
“That really makes it easy and keeps customers from having to worry about the needles making a mess,” he said. “We want to keep people happy during — and after — the holidays.”
The Texas Christmas Tree Growers Association said it too has seen a growing preference for live trees.
“There are a lot of environmental benefits to using real trees as opposed to an artificial tree, which will just sit in a landfill,” said Stan Reed, executive secretary of the Temple-based association.
“Our members who have Christmas tree farms have done a much better job in the last few years of marketing to people looking to do agro tourism with events and live music at their farms,” he said. “That has got people really interested in the live trees.”
Still, artificial trees continue to be the dominant way to celebrate the season.
A national survey by the American Christmas Tree Association found that 83% of households planning to display a tree this season will choose an artificial one, reflecting a consistent preference that has continued for over a decade.
Tommy Janes flips through a scrapbook about his time in youth baseball with the Optimist Club in Fort Worth on Dec. 12, 2025. Janes was photographed in 1953 during the first year of the tree lot and is pictured on the far right holding a Christmas tree. (Maria Crane | Fort Worth Report/CatchLight Local/Report for America)
But for the Optimist Club, the increased foot traffic caused them to reach out to a local 4H Club to help out at the lot.
“It’s been great because they’ve been getting some community service while they help us out,” said Norman. “Our club is all about providing kids opportunity, and we’re doing that here.”
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy her
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