Independence · Missouri
Fort Osage Christmas Trees
A field-cut Christmas tree farm on the Missouri River bluffs where you take a farm bow saw into the pines, cut a tagged tree priced by the standing foot, and have it shaken and netted, with imported northern firs for those who would rather not cut, a lodge with restrooms, and no admission or parking charge.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees
- Field-cut trees, by the standing foot (last season’s rate)
- Last season $12–$14 a foot
Field trees are priced by their standing height in the field, $12–$14 per foot at last season’s rates, and imported firs ran $100–$200 depending on size, quality and variety. Loading and tie-down is $10. There is no charge for admission or parking. Prices can change, so ask the farm for this season’s rates.
Prices & conditions ↓ - Visit times
Open on listed days, 9am–5pm, from Saturday, November 21 through Sunday, December 6, with Thursday, November 26 closed for Thanksgiving and Friday, December 4 open 3pm–5pm. The farm closes for the season when the trees are sold out, and hours can change with inventory and weather.
Full schedule ↓
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
The field trees are mostly pines. Last season’s mix included white pine, Norway spruce, red pine, Austrian white pine, Virginia pine, Lobb Lolly pitch pine, Ponderosa pine and cypress, and a tree takes six to ten years to grow to cutting size. Last season’s tagged trees ran from about 6 feet to a few reaching 9 feet.
For a fir, the farm brings in pre-harvested northern trees, usually Fraser and balsam fir plus a few other varieties. They are cut at another farm and trucked in just days before the season begins, so the supply is limited.
Published varieties
- White pine
- Norway spruce
- Red pine
- Austrian white pine
- Virginia pine
- Lobb Lolly pitch pine
- Ponderosa pine
- Cypress
- Fraser fir (imported)
- Balsam fir (imported)
Which variety suits your decorations?
General tree guidance; the farm’s selection, sizes and services are described above.
- Fraser fir
- Upward branches and good needle retention; firmer branches can suit heavier ornaments.
- Balsam fir
- A notably fragrant choice with soft needles.
- White pine
- Long, soft needles and flexible branches; choose lighter decorations.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Compare the options
Trees & prices.
The rates above are last season’s and can change. The farm accepts cash and all major credit cards.
| Selection & size | Price |
|---|---|
| Field-cut tree, by standing height | $12–$14 per foot Last season’s rate; each tagged tree shows its own price and variety. |
| Imported pre-harvested firs | $100–$200 per tree Last season’s range, by size, quality and variety; while supplies last. |
| Loading and tie-down service | $10 Offered at the farm. |
| Admission and parking | No charge The farm charges neither. |
| This season’s tree prices | Ask the farm Prices can change at any time, so check with the farm before you come. |
Cutting your own tree in the pines
Come during open hours, early in the season while the choice is best, and the farm hands you a bow saw and points you toward the trees. Every tree that is ready to cut is clearly tagged with a price and a variety, and a tree without a tag is not for cutting.
The farm’s own bow saws are the only saws allowed. Chainsaws, power saws and saws brought from home stay in the car. Most of the field trees are pines, and each one carries its own tag so you know what you are paying for before you cut.
Field-tree and imported-fir prices
Field trees are priced by their standing height in the field, at $12 to $14 per foot at last season’s rates, and the tag shows the exact price. Imported firs ran $100 to $200 depending on size, quality and variety. The farm charges nothing for admission or parking.
These rates are last season’s and can change at any time.
| Selection & size | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Field-cut tree, tagged by standing height (last season about 6 to 9 feet) | $12–$14 per foot | Each tagged tree shows its price and variety |
| Imported pre-harvested fir | $100–$200 per tree | By size, quality and variety; while supplies last |
| Loading and tie-down | $10 | A service the farm offers |
| Admission and parking | No charge | None at the farm |
Imported northern firs, pre-harvested
If you would rather not cut, or you have your heart set on a fir, the farm sells pre-harvested northern fir trees, a collection it brings in for the Kansas City area, while supplies last. These trees are cut at another farm and brought in by semi-truck just days before the season begins, and the farm has brought in imported trees for more than fifteen years.
The farm usually brings Fraser fir and balsam fir, with some additional varieties. Last season’s range was $100 to $200 depending on size, quality and variety.
Shaking, netting and loading
Every tree is shaken with a mechanical shaker to knock out loose needles and debris, then compressed with specialized netting so it travels easily on your car. The farm also offers a loading and tie-down service for $10.
The farm’s White Pine Lodge is its Harvest HQ during the season.
Season dates, hours and sell-outs
The harvest opens on Saturday, November 21 and runs on the listed days through Sunday, December 6. The farm is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26. Friday, December 4 is a short day, 3pm to 5pm; every other listed day is 9am to 5pm.
Supplies are limited and the best selection is on opening weekend. The harvest usually lasts three to four weeks or until the crop is sold. When the trees are gone the farm closes for the season, and it updates its recorded hotline message for sell-outs, early weather closings and hours.
| Date | Hours | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday–Sunday, November 21–22 | 9am–5pm | Opening weekend; the hotline has the latest on Sunday’s opening hour |
| Wednesday, November 25 | 9am–5pm | Regular harvest hours |
| Thursday, November 26 | Closed | Thanksgiving Day |
| Friday–Sunday, November 27–29 | 9am–5pm | Regular harvest hours |
| Friday, December 4 | 3pm–5pm | Short day |
| Saturday–Sunday, December 5–6 | 9am–5pm | Last listed days |
Payment, returns, dogs, restrooms and the lay of the land
The farm accepts cash and all major credit cards. A tree can be returned or exchanged within three days of purchase; trees that are damaged or improperly stored are not eligible.
Well-behaved, vaccinated, leashed dogs are welcome. The farm is in rural country where loose dogs sometimes wander in, so keep yours on a leash, never leave a dog in a parked car for more than a few minutes, and bring bags to pick up after it. The lodge has indoor men’s, women’s and accessible restrooms.
The lodge is surrounded by asphalt and is accessible, but the parking lot and drive are gravel, and the field of trees is grass with stumps, dips and the other ruggedness of a working farm. After rain or snow the field is harder going for anyone with limited mobility. The farm does not discourage anyone from coming, but expect a natural setting.
| Topic | At the farm |
|---|---|
| Payment | Cash and all major credit cards |
| Returns | Return or exchange within 3 days of purchase; damaged or improperly stored trees are not eligible |
| Dogs | Well-behaved, vaccinated, leashed dogs welcome; bring bags |
| Restrooms | Indoor men’s, women’s and accessible restrooms at White Pine Lodge |
| Terrain | Asphalt around the lodge; gravel lot and drive; grass field with stumps and dips |
| Saws | Farm bow saws only; no personal, power or chain saws |
The farm, the hotline and contacts
Families have been coming to this farm for almost thirty years to cut a Christmas tree. It sits at 3022 N Twyman Rd in Independence, on the bluffs of the Missouri River. The farm’s wedding venue, with its chapel in the pine grove and lodge receptions, is a separate business with its own tours and pricing and is not part of a tree visit.
For hours, sell-outs and weather updates, call the harvest hotline at 816-286-7591, a recorded message. The farm also lists a general email address, memories@osagetrees.com.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: Saturday, November 21 – Sunday, December 6, on listed days; closes early if the trees sell out
Open 9am–5pm on Saturday and Sunday, November 21–22, on Wednesday, November 25, from Friday through Sunday, November 27–29, and on Saturday and Sunday, December 5–6, with a shorter 3pm–5pm day on Friday, December 4. The farm is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26. The harvest usually lasts three to four weeks or until the crop is sold, hours can change with inventory and weather, and the farm closes for the season when every tree is gone. Supplies are limited and the best choice is on opening weekend.
| Christmas tree harvest | Hours |
|---|---|
| Saturday–Sunday, November 21–22 | 9am–5pm; opening weekend (hotline has the latest on Sunday’s hour) |
| Wednesday, November 25 | 9am–5pm |
| Thursday, November 26 | Closed for Thanksgiving Day |
| Friday–Sunday, November 27–29 | 9am–5pm |
| Friday, December 4 | 3pm–5pm |
| Saturday–Sunday, December 5–6 | 9am–5pm |
| All other dates | Not on this season’s harvest schedule |
Hours can change with inventory and weather; the farm closes for the season when the trees are sold out.
Before you go.
- Open on listed days, 9am–5pm, from Saturday, November 21 through Sunday, December 6; Thursday, November 26 is closed and Friday, December 4 is 3pm–5pm.
- Cut a tagged field tree with a farm bow saw; last season’s rate was $12–$14 per foot, and imported firs ran $100–$200.
- Every tree is shaken and netted; loading and tie-down is $10. No admission or parking charge.
- The farm closes when the trees sell out; the recorded hotline has updates.
- Leashed dogs are welcome; restrooms are indoors at White Pine Lodge.
- Harvest hotline: 816-286-7591 (recorded message).
3022 N Twyman Rd, Independence, MO 64058
Keep exploring
Other farms to compare.
Excelsior Springs, Missouri
Christmas Ranch Tree FarmCut your own pine, spruce or fir, or choose a pre-cut fir; staff shake, bale and load it. Last season’s rates ran $8–$15 a foot. Open Friday through Monday, 9am–5pm, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving; free hot cocoa, cider, coffee and cookies in the barn.
Knob Noster, Missouri
Spring Branch AcresChoose and cut a Scotch pine up to 10 feet, or pick a pre-cut Michigan Fraser fir, balsam fir or white pine; hand saws and carts on hand, shaking and netting available. Open Saturdays and Sundays, 9am–5pm, plus Friday, November 27, from Saturday, November 21 through Sunday, December 13.
Festus, Missouri
Meert Tree FarmCut your own Scotch pine, white pine or Norway spruce at $9–$10 a foot, or choose a pre-cut Fraser fir from $16+ a foot; handsaw, shaking and netting provided, with free wagon and train rides on weekends. Open seven days a week from Friday, November 27 through December 20.