Local Tree Farm in Houston County to Open on Thanksgiving
Houston County Living
This year marks the first for Iron Hill Christmas Trees, located 10 miles east of Grapeland off FM 227.
Iron Hill Christmas Trees, located 10 miles east of Grapeland off FM 227, is hoping to make new family traditions and help bring fresh and locally grown Christmas trees to area homes.
The tree farm will open to the public at 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and will open at 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday and stay open until dark.
“This really began for us four years ago,” noted Iron Hill Christmas Trees owner Christina Stewart. “We planted the first trees in January of 2021.’
“We were so nervous, a day after we planted the trees the first big snowstorm hit, and they stayed covered with nearly a foot of snow for a couple of days.”
Normally, that would be it for winter in this part of Texas. The year 2021 was not a typical year. A couple of weeks after that snowstorm, the big one hit.
“When that second one hit, we got all the snow, but those temperatures around 0, we didn’t know if the trees would survive,” Mrs. Stewart added.
The Virginia Pines, the trees planted on the Stewarts’ farm, are hardy trees and they came through the cold just fine. Now, four years later, many of the first planting of trees are ready to be sold, and waiting to find a new home and have some Christmas presents placed under them.
Over the past four years they survived snowstorms, and floods and came through a couple years of drought and some more floods this past spring.
A few of the youngest trees were lost in last year’s drought, but the trees prove surprisingly hardy once they are established.
They are closed on Sunday as Christina’s husband, Wayne, is the pastor at Grapeland Baptist Church.
This initial selection of trees will hopefully fit the bill for a family’s desire for a fresh Christmas tree.
“Most of the trees we have are in the 5 1/2 to 6-foot range,” Wayne said. “We have several over 6 feet with a few in the 7 to 8-foot range.
“Come out to the farm and we can drive you around, or you can walk around and find your tree,” he continued. “We will let you use a saw to cut it down, or we can cut it down for you and help you load it up so you can get it home.”
Along with providing guests trees, they hope to give visitors a family-friendly environment where they can start a new tradition. The Stewarts said they will have several things for people to do.
“After they get their tree the family can go on a hayride through the natural forest,” Christina said. “The kids can take a ride on our ‘Christmas Train,’ and then gather beneath an old converted corn silo and make s’mores and drink hot chocolate.”
They also have a small Christmas store where visitors can buy a souvenir ornament and a few other items to commemorate their visit at the farm.
The store has a few antiques in it, which are not for sale, but the Stewarts want it to have an old country store feel to it; and help people take a step away from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.
On their place, located in Augusta, the oldest community in Houston County, people can slow down and enjoy the country life — even if only for a couple of hours.
“Christmas is such a special time,” Christina continued. “If we can help a family make some good memories, then that makes some good memories for us; and we know we’ve done our job. We can share the joy of the season with them, and that’s knowing Jesus.”
Families should have plenty of photo opportunities and chances to enjoy the outdoors, no matter the weather.
As for the name, Iron Hill Christmas Trees, most of the land in northern Houston County is thick sand; except for the hill where the Stewarts planted the trees.
“It’s a big iron ore hill,” Wayne said. “It may not be great for growing a lot of things, but it does well for pine trees; even Christmas trees.”
To learn more about Iron Hill Christmas Trees, visit their Facebook page. All sales made must be cash or by check. Iron Hill Christmas Trees is located at 5676 Houston County Road 1560, Grapeland. The farm is roughly a mile south of FM 227 in Augusta.
