Tree(s) and Mister Jones: The Jones Family Christmas Tree Tradition at the Jones Family Farms in Connecticut
© 2025 Jones Family Farms
a contemporary photograph captures a picture-perfect Winter scene at Jones Family Farms.
New York City-based printmakers Currier & Ives produced popular lithographs
through the very early-twentieth century.
Philip Jones
Jones Family Farms
Israel Hill RoadShelton, Connecticut
'Tis the season to bundle up, brace for the North Wind, and traverse forests primeval in quest of hand-hewn Christmas trees.
Oh, Fa-la-la-la-la-la-LAH!
"Going back that far," begins Mr. Philip Jones "I believe there were only two others who did the same as I did. But they're long gone."
Ahead of his time -- by mid-1940s marketing standards -- Mr. Jones was one of the first in Connecticut to raise Christmas trees so that his customers might chop down the trees themselves.
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The ancient winter festival of Saturnalia -- known for partying, feasting, and gift-giving -- was celebrated during the winter solstice when evergreen branches were brought inside as a reminder of Spring. The modern tradition of decorating tree branches (and so forth) stems from this ancient practice in the Roman province of Germania and, hence, the contemporary Christmas Tree
is recognised as a quaint German cultural contribution.
Fig. 4 "Peace + Joy (signed) Lloyd, New York c. mid-1980s
Digital Photograph by Titian Butash. December 5, 2025.
With his wife Elizabeth, Mr. Jones owns the 150-acre (since increased to a 200-acreage farmstead) Jones Family Farms in Shelton which he runs with his son, Mr. Terry Jones, and his daughter-in-law, Jean. Approximately 1,200 trees are planted per acre. Mr. Philip Jones is a 4th generation descendant of Philip James Jones, the Jones family's founding farmer. Mr. Terry Jones, his son, is a 5th generation descendent of Philip James Jones, and is now the Patriarch of the Jones Family.
Jones Family Farms was formerly known as the Jones Tree Farm beginning in the late-1930s. The holiday tree-felling tradition, as Mr. Jones reminisces, began in 1947. This was the year Mr. Jones welcomed his first customer to his family's farm. In subsequent years, his client-base grew and his customers eagerly looked forward to participating in the holiday tree-felling and accompanying family activities.
"I had been planting trees for ten years," Mr. Jones says. "People back then could see the trees and wondered why they couldn't just cut their own. So we let them go and do just that, and it's been very popular since."
Colorado blue spruce, white spruce, Norway spruce, white pine, balsam fir, Fraser fir, and Douglas fir are a few of the varieties of evergreens popular for Christmas trees that Jones grows on his farm.
Fig. 5 "Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lifted by a crane into place at Rockefeller Plaza, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in New York" Photograph by AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez
by construction workers during the Great Depression in 1931, the tree-lighting event of
is part of the yearly television special,
Christmas in Rockefeller Center.
Spruce needles are angular in cross-sections unlike the more flattened ones of most firs. Colorado spruce are silvery-blue needled. Pine needles are grouped in clusters of two to five needles and sheathed at the base. Firs -- cultivated for their fragrance and beauty -- have short, flat stem-less needles and cones that shed their scales rather than drop them from the tree whole.
"The Douglas fir is a species all to itself," explains Mr. Jones. "There is no other member in that family but it is similar to the fir. It's like (the genealogy of) people."
"The nice thing about all firs," Mr. Jones continues "is that the needles never come off. It's very rare when firs shed their needles. The needles are just locked right on."
"Each year families look forward to choosing their own Christmas tree and cutting it down together," says Jones. His customers -- most are from the Fairfield County area but others travel from Manhattan -- are loyal and faithfully return year after year to his growing tree farm.
"They seem to take great pride that they cut their own Christmas tree," Mr. Jones confides.
with added decorative embellishments by Titian Butash, 2025"
Photograph by Titian Butash. December 15, 2025.
Most of the trees which are raised in Mr. Jones' fields range between eight to nine feet in height -- anything higher would be unwieldy for the novice "lumberjack" to handle. These are the trees that are ready for cutting. It takes anywhere from seven to 12 years, depending on the variety, for a single tree to mature, according to Mr. Jones. Regardless of the tree size, prices per tree are $35 (if cut on the weekend) or $30 (if cut on any weekday). There are taller, pre-cut trees in his own yard which are slightly more expensive.
For the job of cutting your own Chrstmas tree, dress for success. Fashionable outdoor attire of flannel shirts, and handknit sweaters -- shirts in bold colours of blue-and-black or red-and-black squared patterns, and sweaters with decorative flora and fauna motifs (think Ralph Lauren, the American philanthropist and fashion designer) -- are all part of the holiday season theme designed to convey a genteel yet still slightly rugged (and stylishly classic) look. When cutting your own Christmas tree, however, it is best to be stylishly practical and prioritise safety first. Mr. Jones, therefore, recommends wearing heavy duty work gloves (Gasp!) to protect the hands from snapping branches, pin-sharp needles, and sticky sap. The work gloves, of course, can be coordinated with knit caps. It's not necessary to bring a saw: Mr. Jones lends a handsaw to each customer at no additional charge.
at Jones Family Farms"
Photograph by Bread and Beast Food Photography © 2025 Jones Family Farms
"Lots of folks put live trees on their lawns now," Mr. Jones states. "Jones Tree Farm (today's Jones Family Farms) also has trees with the roots intact, ready for re-planting outside."
"Re-planting can be done at any time," explains Mr. Jones. "But the trees should be put inside first for about one week. We have instruction sheets attached to each for the care of the rooted trees."
"Rooted trees range from 18 inches to eight feet high," according to Mr. Jones. They are priced from $10 to $125.
Photograph by Unknown. rockefellercenter.com.
"We make wreaths out of all the trees that don't shape up to good Christmas trees," Mr. Jones says. "So there's a good mix of the varieties of all the pines and of all the spruces."
Photograph by Bread and Beast Food Photography © 2025 Jones Family Farms
Some of the wreaths are decorated, some are not. The wreaths come in all sizes but there are giant ones of about four feet in diameter. Prices start at $7 and go as high as $50.
with our family Christmas Tree from Jones Family Farms, 2025"
Photograph by Titian Butash. December 15, 2025.
Suggestions from Mr. Jones for the care of your Christmas Tree
Hydration Hydration Hydration
1. Fill your tree stand with about one gallon of water. Some tree stands only hold about one-to-two cups of water. Be sure your stand holds much more.
2. Before putting your Christmas tree into the water, make a fresh cut at the bottom of the tree trunk. The sap, which oozes from a freshly cut tree, can coagulate and block the flow of water through the tree.
3. Water your tree daily. Be sure to check the water level regularly. A properly watered tree will not become a fire hazard because the needles, branches, and trunk will not dry out.
4. Place your tree in the coolest part of the room. Keep your tree away from heat sources, including small space heaters, which can speed-up the drying process.
Farms Listed in the Connecticut Pick Your Own Growers Association
A Few Farms to Visit During the Holidays
* saw provided
Shelton, CT 06484
(203) 929-8424
*saw provided
Somers, CT 06071
https://www.rosesberryfarm.com/
*For updated pricing and further information call (203) 929-8425.
* * *
First published in The Advocate & Greenwich Time, Suburban Strategy, December 4, 1987.© Titian Butash All rights reserved
Modified December 31, 2025.
With sincere thanks for editorial insights to Harriette Sobczak.
References
Author unknown. webstermuseum.org. http://www.webstermuseum.org/christmas.php. Accessed December 15, 2025.
Brunner, Bernd. Inventing the Christmas Tree, New Haven: Yale University Press, November 1, 2012.
Butash, Titian. "Lumberjack For A Day: U-chop Christmas Tree Farms Are Now A Tradition," Suburban Strategy, The Stamford Advocate & Greenwich Time, Weekend, December 4, 1987, 13.
Cavanaugh, John. "A Bountiful Year for Trees," The New York Times, Connecticut, Dec. 12, 1982,
11, 1.
Chevalier, Lorris. "The Medieval Tradition of the Christmas Tree: Origins, Symbols, and Paradoxes," Medievalists.net. https://www.medievalists.net/2024/12/medieval-christmas-tree-origins-symbols-paradoxes/. Accessed December 5, 2025.
"German Christmas Traditions - The Christmas Tree," christkindl-markt. https://www.christkindl-markt.com/german-christmas-traditions-christmas-tree-a-19.html?srsltid=AfmBOorUCLdvkv6RxyTU4UDPX4-KUw5oV96KXdt4AgGWVX1WCTmQP5TH. Accessed December 5, 2025.
Greenwich Library Archives. Greenwich Library, Greenwich, Connecticut. January 2025.
History.com Editors. "History of Christmas Trees," History.com. https://www.history.com/articles/history-of-christmas-trees. Accessed December 5, 2025.
The Christmans Tree. rockefellercenter.com. www.rockefellercenter.com.
https://www.rockefellercenter.com/holidays/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree/#viewing-details. Accessed December 15, 2025.
"The First Christmas Tree," Medievalists.net. https://www.medievalists.net/2023/12/first-christmas-tree/#google_vignette. Accessed December 5, 2025.
Images
Fig. 1 Bread and Beast Food Photography. "Winter scene at Jones Family Farms" Photograph by Bread and Beast Food Photography © 2025 Jones Family Farms. https://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com/news-and-events. Accessed December 14, 2025.
Fig. 2 Butash, Titian. "Walter Krasniewicz gets set to drive off with his Christmas tree after a trip up High Ridge Road in Stamford, 1987" Photograph by Tom Ryan" Digital photograph by Titian Butash. September 2, 2025.
Fig. 4 Butash, Titian. "Peace + Joy (signed) Lloyd, New York c. mid-1980s. Photograph by Lloyd Ziff Gifted to Titian Butash" Digital Photograph by Titian Butash. December 5, 2025.
Fig. 5 Alvarez, Eduardo Munoz. "Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lifted by a crane into place at Rockefeller Plaza,Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in New York" Photograph by AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez. https://abc7ny.com/post/rockefeller-tree-lighting-2025-midtown-christmas-lit-holiday-season/18246183/. Accessed December 7, 2025.
Fig. 6 Butash, Titian. "Little Red Carvette Transporting Christmas Tree ornament with added decorative embellishments. Photograph by Titian Butash, 2025" Photograph by Titian Butash. December 14, 2025.
Fig. 7 Bread and Beast Food Photography. "Hand-hewn Christmas tree is placed on a tarp for a smooth transfer to a vehicle at Jones Family Farms" Photograph by Bread and Beast Food Photography © 2025 Jones Family Farms. https://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com/news-and-events. Accessed December 14, 2025.
Fig. 8 Unknown Photographer. "The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree at the Rockefeller Center in New York, 2025" Photograph by Unknown. rockefellercenter.com. www.rockefellercenter.com. https://www.rockefellercenter.com/holidays/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree/#viewing-details. Accessed December 15, 2025.
Fig. 9 Bread and Beast Food Photography. "Farm Fresh Wreaths Specials at Jones Family Farms" Photograph by Bread and Beast Food Photography © 2025 Jones Family Farms. https://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com/news-and-events. Accessed December 14, 2025.
and on the way back home to New York City, 2025" Photograph by Titian Butash.
December 15, 2025.
