“Our Balsam and Fraser fir trees come direct from Canada, and our Douglas Firs come from Catwissa, Pennsylvania. For every tree that is cut, two new seedlings are planted,” said Stew Leonard, Jr. President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s. “Because we buy our trees direct from the grower, we are not only able to ensure high quality, fresh trees, but we are also able to pass on the savings to our customers –our trees start at just $19.99.”

Choosing the Right Tree
“The first question we ask customers is, ‘how tall is your ceiling’? We want to make sure they have room for the angel or star they put on top of their tree without having to cut off too much of the trunk and lower branches,” said John Talento, Manager of Stew Leonard’s Tree Shop in Yonkers. “The next question is to determine what variety of tree would suit the customers’ needs best, from asking them whether they have heavy ornaments, or is fragrance more important?”


Stew Leonard’s sells the three most popular varieties of trees – Balsam, Douglas and Fraser firs. Following are the characteristics of each tree:

Douglas Fir

Fraser Fir

How to Tell if a Tree is Fresh
“The needles should look glossy and green – not dry or brown. Green needles on fresh trees break crisply when bent sharply with the fingers,” said Tom Petrellese, Manager of Stew Leonard’s Danbury Tree Shop. “Another test is to gently grasp a branch between your thumb and forefinger and pull toward you. Very few needles should come off in your hand.”

To ensure continued freshness, once a customer selects a tree, at least a ½-inch fresh cut is made on the bottom of the trunk, to eliminate the heaviest build-up of sap to make it easier for the tree to take up water in the stand. The tree is then wrapped up and tied to the top of the car or placed in the trunk of the customer’s car for safe transport home.

Tips for When you get Home to Keep Your Tree Fresh
If a tree is not going to be immediately set up right away, Stew Leonard’s tree experts recommend keeping it in the garage in a bucket of warm water with a little of Stew Leonard’s Miracle Tree added to it. This helps to get the tree acclimated from the cold outdoors to warmer indoor temperatures.

When setting up the tree, place it in an area where it is not exposed to direct sunlight, or drafty heat from air vents and fireplaces to prevent evaporation and moisture loss. Trim away any imperfect or unruly branches. Use these boughs to decorate a mantle or in an arrangement. Always remember to put a tree bag down first, before placing the tree in the stand, to make post-holiday clean-up easier.

Keep the tree stand filled with water, checking it several times a day, especially for the first week. If the stand runs out of water, the tree will seal up and begin to dry out. Stew’s tree experts recommend adding Stew’s Miracle Tree – a special formula developed with their growers that replenishes the tree’s nutrients immediately. Simply fill the tree stand with one part Stew’s Miracle Tree and two parts warm water.

Decorating Tips
As a general rule of thumb, use 100 lights per foot of tree height. Stew Leonard’s Christmas Shops, located in all three stores, carry a large selection of ornaments, lights and holiday decorations.