SAN ANTONIO – For the Davenport family, the perfect Christmas tree isn’t what can be found in stores; instead, it’s a real tree they’re after.
“I don’t want it to be perfect. Plastic trees are perfect,” said J.D. Davenport.
His children had slightly different ideas.
“I like a bushy one and the tall one so we can fit the most ornaments on it as possible,” his daughter, Keegan, said.
Fresh, live Christmas trees are in high demand this year as families turn to tradition to jolly up what’s been a Grinch of a year. So far this year, sales of real Christmas firs are up nearly 30%, according to a survey of tree retailers by Evercore ISI.
“They are definitely going back to real trees,” said Misty Rollans, who, along with her husband, runs the Holiday Hills tent on U.S. Highway 281 North at Redland Road. “They want that smell. They want that happy moment again. You know, it’s an event to come out with your family and pick your tree.”
Not only are people buying earlier this year, but they’re also buying bigger trees, according to the couple.
“We love to watch the kids walk around, and their eyes just light up,” said Dan Rollans.
Whether you’re buying a towering Noble or a modest fir, shoppers say there is nothing quite like the scent and sentiments of a live tree, especially after this year.
“Yeah, I think it says a lot with what’s going on right now,” Davenport said. “To be outdoors and try to bring the outdoors indoors, because you’re indoors a lot right now.”
They found their perfect tree in a year that’s been anything but.
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