Ergle Christmas Tree Farm

Great selection and wonderful service! This will definitely be our go-​to place for Christmas trees from now on!

For more than 26 years the Ergle Christmas Tree Farm has been open for business. They offer a variety of fresh trees, wreaths and Christmas cacti. You can either cut your own, buy one that is potted or purchase a pre-​cut (or if you are rich and have a big house, do all three).
The first thing a person notices when they arrive at the Ergle Farm is the field of trees that are neatly lined up to the left of the property. Most of these trees, at least where I was standing, came up to my waist. They were the perfect size for my one year old daughter and her friends. It was neat to walk through all of these trees and use them to take Christmas card pictures (the family encourages you to come by with your camera to capture the memories you are making).
After shooting some photos in the fresh tree section we walked around to the back of the house to check out the Ergle Christmas farm «train» that is supposed to run all weekend long. The train is really a tractor that has been decked out to look like a train. It seemed like a really cool part of the experience. Unfortunately, on the day we visited, the train was out of order so we didn’t get a chance to ride on it. Behind the train parking there are a number of booths set up to sell refreshments. That way if you want to take your time in choosing a tree, no problem, they’ve got you covered food and drink wise. Also back there is the farm’s gigantic selection of precut trees.
The Ergle Christmas Tree Farm seems like is a lovely place to go to snap some Christmas tree pictures. As far as the trees and wreaths they offer, it is probably worth the long drive from Tampa if you want to cut your own or buy one that is potted. I haven’t seen many of those being sold on the Tampa streets. If you are purchasing a pre-​cut one, you can probably find comparable ones right in Tampa.

I am sad to say this is not the place it once was when I was a kid. It used to be acres and acres of trees you could drive through to choose and cut your own. There were several types of trees and they were beautiful in size and shape. I’m not sure what happened or why the location changed, but this is not the tree farm it used to be. There is a very small selection of tiny trees to choose from, and only two varieties. The nice trees are shipped in already cut and are set up in a tent. I will say the staff is friendly, and we were greeted right away and given instructions. Sadly, we won’t be making the trip back here next year though.

Don’t waste your day! It was cool to cut down our own tree but if you want to hit the snack bar, GOOD LUCK! We waited over a half an hour for one bag of kettle corn and were second in line. We ordered hot dogs, paid for them and then were told we could have the dogs but they had no buns. If you do go to get a tree expect to wait at least an hour to have it shaken and «bagged». Other than the tree cutting there isn’t much to do there. The website mentioned a petting zoo but we were told it wasn’t set up yet and were there late in the afternoon. The older staff were very friendly but the younger staff could care less.

If you are looking for a place to go that makes you feel like you might actually have a white Christmas in Florida this year, this is it!
We went there to get our tree 2 years ago and were warmly greeted by the nicest Acapulco native named Franco who is the farm owner’s right hand man. He helped us pick an amazing tree, cleaned it up, packed it up, and nestled it into our trunk securely. We chatted for a bit about family and where we were from, etc., and when we went back this year, he still remembered us immediately!
We missed out last year because we couldn’t remember the name or exact location of the farm, and had to make do without, but were so excited to have found it again this year!
We got to meet the owner Tony this time around as well. Super nice guy that was just so inviting that we felt right at home. These guys give you the time of day and it translates into our feeling even better about our fantastic find of a tree.
Both times we chose to go with Firs that had come down from NC. They were super fresh, and smelled sooo good! Beautiful fantastic trees were abundant, and it really smelled like Christmas… still does :) But you can cut down your own tree from their farm, or have them do it for you as well!
You won’t go wrong with these guys…
They also have U-​PICK strawberries and blueberries and the next crop is due to be ready in mid-​January. I’m just sad I’ll be back in SoCal for school by then. But check the website and make a day of it! Tony said their berries were not sprayed and chemical free too!!!
You won’t be sorry on your next visit, be it for berry picking, a Christmas tree, or to purchase trees for your own little orchard — their nursery has you covered. Enjoy!