The 10 best places for Christmas trees in San Francisco

For generations, San Franciscans have returned year after year to the Guardsmen Tree Lot to be part of an annual tradition that is about a lot more than just Christmas trees. Operated by volunteers, the Guardsmen donates large parts of their proceeds to help at-risk youth in San Francisco. Pick a tree or lend a hand at the lot this holiday season to spread as much cheer as possible.

Opens: Nov 26

Brent’s Christmas Trees has served the city of Oakland and Alameda for over five decades, the longest-running family-operated Christmas tree business in the area. Their evergreen varieties, which come from Oregon and Northern California, include everything from Douglas and grand firs to cedars and sequoias. They’ve also got plenty of wreaths, mistletoe, and garlands to dress up every room in the house. 

Dates: Nov 18–Dec 8

Nothing says Christmas like a day at Santa’s Tree Farm, where six different varieties of Christmas trees grow in the foggy cool of Half Moon Bay just off Highway 92. Choose and cut your own from the 487-acre farm or select a pre-cut tree for between $60–$75 (pro tip: prices are a little lower if you pay in cash). After you’ve selected your favorite, take the kids for a train ride, taste something sweet in Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen, and maybe even visit Santa himself. 

Dates: Nov 19–Dec 23

Each holiday season, the family-owned Wonderland Trees brings several varieties of sustainably farmed firs from Oregon to its Emeryville lot. Go for the Christmas trees, but if you have kids, you’ll want to stay for the jumpy house and four-story ship slide. If attempting to get your ideal tree home seems daunting, order one online, and Wonderland will deliver and install it.

Dates: Open now 

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Offering a vast array of high-quality pre-cut trees, Bernal Heights’ Christmas Tree Jamboree is your friendly neighborhood holiday outfitter. Aside from helping tie your evergreen to your car, the staff also offers flogging and fireproofing services. Prices start at under $40 for a fully-fledged Christmas tree, one of the best deals around.

If you love the Christmas tree tradition but hate watching your beloved holiday centerpiece waste away, Rent A Living Christmas Tree has a solution. The white-glove service will deliver a potted Christmas tree to your door and then pick it up after the holidays, keeping your evergreen happy, healthy, and well-watered even after the season. Deliveries can be scheduled in the South Bay and the Peninsula; East Bay residents and San Franciscans will have to make the drive out to pick their trees up.

This centrally-located evergreen hub in the Inner Sunset has cultivated its charmingly old-school city tree-lot vibe since 1949. A pumpkin patch during Halloween, by Thanksgiving Clancy’s transforms into a mobile forest with plenty of parking. Trees delivered to the lot three times a week are sure to be fresh, and at your behest, the on-site team will custom-flock your selection for a bit of snowy style.

With no fewer than 17 different Christmas tree lots throughout the Bay Area, ABC Tree Farms is an effortless option whether you live in San Francisco, the East Bay, or the Peninsula. Their lots specialize in four evergreen varieties—Nobel Fir, Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, and Turkish Fir—and offer onsite flocking. Some lots will even deliver your tree right to your home.

Dates: Open Nov 19

Nestled in the East Bay foothills, Castro Valley Christmas Tree Farm offers firs, redwoods, cedars, and Monterey Pines for $105–$118. Select a pre-cut tree or scout out your own on a choose-and-chop adventure through the expansive nursery. 

Dates: Open Nov 25

If chopping your own tree is high on your list of Christmas priorities, head north to Petaluma's nearly century-old Larsen’s Christmas Tree Farm. Choose any type or size; if you can cut it and carry it, it’ll cost you just $55. Pre-cut trees are also available. Whatever you select, the friendly staff will shake, net, and tie your evergreen to the roof of your car for a trouble-free ride home.