Best Christmas Tree Lots in San Diego

As featured on our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego, picking out the perfect tree is a must-do activity. It’s an annual tradition for me and my family! At Mr. Jingles Christmas Trees, you’ve got plenty of choices at their three locations in Balboa Park, La Jolla, and Clairemont.

At each farm, you can choose from beautiful Noble, Nordman, and Douglas Fir trees. Don’t forget your wreaths and garlands, and you can also pick up accessories like ornaments and tree skirts.

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

While you can visit any of the three Mr. Jingles locations to get your tree, my favorite is the Balboa Park one. There are tons of other holiday activities right in the park: watch a performance of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! which is a yearly event for my family, check out December Nights, and visit the San Diego Zoo (with a Go City San Diego pass and our discount code GVSD5OFF to save on admission) for their Jungle Bells event.

You can bring the whole family along to choose your tree this year when you explore Pinery Christmas Trees, which has four locations in the San Diego area.

You can choose from five different species of Fir trees to find the perfect fit for your home, then get ready to turn on the Christmas tunes and start decorating! As soon as your new tree goes up, you’ll find that the holidays feel a little nearer than before.

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

If you’re busy this holiday season or don’t have a car to transport your tree of choice, Pinery also offers a tree delivery service. That’s a huge help for anyone who takes advantage of San Diego’s public transit to get around (and cut down on gas bills) like I do!

As the fall season comes to a close, many of San Diego’s pumpkin patches transition into Christmas tree farms. That’s the case for Pumpkin & Polar Palooza, which opens their tree farm in Carlsbad to visitors right after Thanksgiving each year.

On top of picking out a tree, kids can also visit the petting zoo and the inflatable slide Funzone, making this one of the best family-friendly Christmas tree lots around. Plus, you’re not far from LEGOLAND California and the LEGOLAND California resort either if you want to make it a full family outing!

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

Pumpkin & Polar Palooza is a locally-owned and family-run business, and I love the way they hold lots of community events for families, like Movies in the Patch and their “Funtivities.”

Whether you’re looking for a full-size tree or small potted trees you can set on the table as decorations, you’ll find them at Purdy Tree Farms. Its two locations in Carlsbad and Del Mar are some of the best Christmas tree farms you’ll find in Southern California, with all trees grown and shipped in from Oregon.

And, if you’re looking for more holiday fun, see our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego article for other ways to celebrate once you’ve got your tree!

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

This is another family-owned tree lot, and the family also owns the farm in Oregon where they source their trees.

You can choose from a decent selection here, including Noble Fir and Nordmann Fir trees, and since they’re fresh cut just one state north of California, they’re especially green and vibrant.

In business since 1980, Valley View Christmas Trees is a family operation where you can find the perfect freshly cut tree. You can enjoy a little snow in San Diego with tree flocking, with a light dusting of white faux snow on the branches, or go all natural.

With lots of lush trees to choose from, you’ll be stringing up holiday lights in no time!

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

One cute and unique tradition at this lot is that they sell ristras, which are wreaths made of dried chile peppers. You can hang one up to add a touch of the Southwest to your Christmas decorations.

You can stroll through endless rows of Christmas tree candidates at North Pole Christmas Tree, with some options even reaching as tall as 12 feet! The lot serves hot chocolate and there’s always Christmas music playing to put visitors in the holiday mindset.

The most popular tree here is their Noble Fir, but you’ll find Grand, Douglas, and Nordman Fir trees too.

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

Not only will you find trees here, but the lot is also a little Christmas village, with plenty of decorations to make you feel like you’re really walking through the North Pole - even if it’s not nearly as cold!

If you’re looking to pick up some farm-fresh favorites alongside your tree this year, I’d recommend The Farm Stand West. This lot offers seasonal winter produce grown right on the lot, ideal for baking that apple pie you’ve been planning to make for your Christmas Eve celebrations.

Here, you can also pick up wreaths, garlands, and poinsettias, and get custom flocking for your tree as well!

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

Beyond the fact that this Christmas tree lot offers fresh produce, they also get a very special visit in December from the man himself, Santa Claus! Bring the kids to share their Christmas lists with him and to snap photos for your Christmas cards.

Are you looking for a cut-your-own tree experience in San Diego? You might be surprised to learn that you can head out into the fields at Family Christmas Tree Farm with a saw and return with a gorgeous Monterey Pine or Leyland Cypress, grown right on the 10-acre farm!

Pre-cut trees are also available, with five different Fir species grown in the Pacific Northwest.

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

To me this lot is special because you can select and cut your own tree. If having a tree that lasts through the season matters to you, this is what I would call a fresh cut tree!

This is also one of the few tree farms around the San Diego area where you can find less common species like the Fraser Fir or the Wild Noble. And of course, you’re right by Julian, CA, so apple pies are a given!

You can find classic trees like Fraser, Noble, and Douglas Firs at Mission Hills Nursery, but the star of the show in my opinion is their new line of Red Fir trees known as SilverTip trees.

These are typically on the smaller side, but the branches are still plenty sturdy enough for ornaments, and they’re proudly sourced from a 400-acre family farm in the Sierras near Lake Tahoe.

The nursery also offers delivery services if you can’t strap your chosen tree to your car’s roof, or if you simply prefer the convenience.

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

I really appreciate this tree farm’s commitment to sustainability, with many of its SilverTip trees being second-generation trees grown from the stumps of previously cut ones. It’s an innovative and eco-friendly way to enjoy the holidays.

We’ve covered a lot of Christmas tree farms so far, but you can also find fresh trees at nurseries. The North Park Nursery is among our favorites, with some great seasonal options in the fall and winter.

Not only can you pick up a gorgeous tree here, but you can also walk through the nursery and choose from tons of other indoor and outdoor plants, including Christmas cactus, cyclamen, and poinsettias.

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

It’s not just about plants at this nursery - they’ve also got a little shop where you can pick up a few early Christmas presents. Many of the items are locally-made, with candles, soaps, and even customizable potted plant arrangements.

Around the holiday season, the barn at Mountain Valley Ranch is absolutely packed with trees of every shape and size. Though you may not find many fields growing trees in San Diego, here, you’ll feel like you’re wandering through a forest while you choose your tree.

Alongside their trees, you can also pick up Cedar Wreaths, which have a cozy smell that reminds me of being a kid on Christmas morning again.

What Makes This Lot Stand Out

We highlighted Mountain Valley Ranch in our article on excellent pumpkin patches around San Diego, and I’m happy to say they do just as great a job with Christmas trees as they do with pumpkins!