Gilbert · South Carolina
Hollow Creek Tree Farm
A family farm in Gilbert, planting trees since 1976, where every choose-and-cut cypress, pine and cedar carries its own price tag, premium fresh-cut Fraser fir is sold alongside, staff shake, bale and carry the tree to your vehicle, and hot chocolate, weekend hayrides and a Christmas shop round out the visit.
At a glance
Your tree visit.
- Tree choices
- Cut your own · Pre-cut trees
- Choose-and-cut and premium fresh-cut trees
- From $58
Choose-and-cut field trees are $58–$98 at 6 ft–8 ft and $108–$198 at 9 ft–12 ft. Premium fresh-cut firs are $88–$148 at 6 ft–7 1/2 ft and $145–$288 at 8 ft–10 ft. Every tree is priced individually with a tag in the field.
Prices & conditions ↓ - Visit times
Opens Sunday, November 22 at 1pm; last day Wednesday, December 16. Sunday–Thursday 1pm–5:30pm; Friday and Saturday 9am–5:30pm; Thanksgiving Day 1pm–5pm.
Full schedule ↓
Find your tree
Choose your Christmas tree.
Hollow Creek grows its choose-and-cut trees on the farm: Leyland, Jingles and Murray cypress, Carolina Sapphire, Blue Ice cypress, Virginia pine, Thuja Green Giant, Deodar cedar, Eastern red cedar and a newer narrow shape the farm calls Hollow Creek Slims. Every tree in the field is priced individually with a tag, and the farm’s one firm rule is not to cut a tree that has no tag, because those are future trees kept for the harvest rotation. Premium fresh-cut Fraser fir is sold alongside, and the farm’s blue spruce page lists a fresh-cut spruce that its supplier cuts late.
The farm describes a full-service approach: staff cut a tree for you on request, then shake, bale and carry it to your vehicle, and drill the trunk for certain stands. It does not mention saws or carts, does not publish heights for each variety, and does not say which varieties are in the fields this season, so ask when you arrive.
Published varieties
- Leyland Cypress
- Jingles Cypress
- Murray Cypress
- Carolina Sapphire
- Blue Ice Cypress
- Virginia Pine
- Thuja Green Giant
- Deodar Cedar
- Eastern Red Cedar
- Hollow Creek Slims
- Fraser fir (fresh-cut)
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.
Learn more: University of Wisconsin Extension ↗ · National Christmas Tree Association ↗
Compare the options
Trees & prices.
The farm’s price page does not state payment methods or sales tax.
| Selection & size | Price |
|---|---|
| Field trees (choose-and-cut), 6 ft–8 ft | $58–$98 Per tree, priced individually with a tag in the field. |
| Field trees (choose-and-cut), 9 ft–12 ft | $108–$198 Per tree, priced individually with a tag in the field. |
| Premium fresh-cut firs, 6 ft–7 1/2 ft | $88–$148 Per tree; sold alongside the field trees. |
| Premium fresh-cut firs, 8 ft–10 ft | $145–$288 Per tree; sold alongside the field trees. |
| Tree Genie step-on stand | $139 Listed on the farm’s tree-stand page. |
| Cinco Express stands: up to 8 ft / up to 10 ft / up to 12 ft | $32 / $44 / $58 Models C-152E, C-148E and C-144E. |
| Pin or rebar stands: to 5 ft / to 8 ft / to 12 ft / reinforced to 12 ft | $35 / $58 / $69 / $89 The farm says it is phasing these out; staff still drill trunks for them. |
| Wreaths, bows, ornaments, cutting, baling, drilling and carrying | Not published The farm lists these without prices; confirm at the farm. |
Choose-and-cut trees and the price tags
At Hollow Creek you walk the fields, find a tree you like and read its tag. Each tree is priced individually, so two trees of the same height can be priced differently. The farm asks that you never cut a tree without a price tag; untagged trees are future trees kept to maintain a steady harvest.
Choose-and-cut trees run from 6 ft–8 ft at $58–$98 to 9 ft–12 ft at $108–$198. The farm says its staff will cut your tree if you prefer. It does not mention saws, carts or wagons for the field, so ask on arrival if you want to cut it yourself.
Tree varieties
The farm gives each variety its own page. Which of them are in the fields this season is not published, and the price page does not separate varieties, so ask what is tagged and ready when you go. Notes below marked as older come from pages written for earlier seasons.
| Variety | What the farm says |
|---|---|
| Leyland Cypress | The farm calls it its most popular tree. It keeps its needles with virtually no shedding, lasts a couple of months in water, and an 8 ft tree can drink up to 2 gallons a day in the first several days. Its limbs are soft, so use lighter ornaments. |
| Jingles Cypress | A Hollow Creek exclusive with fuller, finer foliage than Leyland that the farm says lasts up to 2 months. Its page, written for an earlier season, describes a small first crop and expects full inventory to follow; the number available now is not published. |
| Murray Cypress | A half-sibling of Leyland with stronger branches, darker green color and a subtle hazelnut scent. |
| Carolina Sapphire | Bluer and softer than Leyland, with a lemon and mint aroma. The farm says it is best cut later in the season, though some customers bring it home Thanksgiving weekend with success. |
| Blue Ice Cypress | A deeper blue than Sapphire with moderate needle retention, best cut later in the season. An older note on its page says supply was limited. |
| Virginia Pine | Strong branches, good needle retention and a festive pine scent. An older note on its page lists 5 ft–8 ft trees and limited supply. |
| Thuja Green Giant | A full, natural, vintage look with an apple-candy aroma. |
| Deodar Cedar | Fir-like layered branching, very prickly, with a musky aroma. An older note on its page says only a few were available. |
| Eastern Red Cedar | The farm calls it the traditional Christmas tree for Southerners: woodsy aroma, prickly, best cut later in the season. |
| Hollow Creek Slims | A newer, narrow shape for tight spaces. |
| Fraser Fir (fresh-cut) | Silvery-green, soft, with a fir aroma; some shedding is normal. See the fresh-cut section below. |
| Blue Spruce (fresh-cut) | Stiff 1–1.5 inch needles; the farm says it lasts to New Year’s. See the fresh-cut section below. |
Tree prices
These are the ranges on the farm’s price page. The page says every tree is individually tagged in the field, so the tag is the price you pay. It does not mention sales tax, payment methods, or fees for cutting, baling or drilling.
| Trees | Height | Price per tree |
|---|---|---|
| Choose-and-cut field trees | 6 ft–8 ft | $58–$98 |
| Choose-and-cut field trees | 9 ft–12 ft | $108–$198 |
| Premium fresh-cut firs | 6 ft–7 1/2 ft | $88–$148 |
| Premium fresh-cut firs | 8 ft–10 ft | $145–$288 |
Fresh-cut Fraser fir and blue spruce
Alongside the field trees, the farm sells premium fresh-cut firs in two height ranges on its price page. Its Fraser fir page describes a silvery-green tree with a soft feel, a fir aroma and some shedding that is normal for a fir.
The farm does not publish when this season’s Fraser fir arrives; the arrival time on its Fraser page is from an earlier season. Its blue spruce page says the supplier cuts those late and gives December 3, with no season attached, and the main trees page does not list blue spruce, so ask whether any is on the lot before counting on it.
Shaking, baling, drilling and carrying
The farm’s home page calls service its specialty. Staff, whom the farm calls its tree wranglers and who are mostly seasonal young workers, cut your tree if you like, then transport it, shake it, bale it and carry it out to your vehicle. The farm’s About page describes the crew cutting, baling, lifting, shaking, drilling, hammering, carrying and loading.
Staff also drill the trunk for pin or rebar stands. The farm does not publish a charge for any of these services and the price page lists none, so confirm whether anything is added to the tagged price.
Tree stands
The farm sells tree stands, with prices on its tree-stand page. It says it is phasing out the pin and rebar stands, though staff still drill trunks for them.
Each price is for the stand only and is separate from the tree.
| Stand | Fits trees up to | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Genie step-on stand | Not stated | $139 |
| Cinco Express C-152E | 8 ft | $32 |
| Cinco Express C-148E | 10 ft | $44 |
| Cinco Express C-144E | 12 ft | $58 |
| Pin or rebar stand, Small | 5 ft | $35 |
| Pin or rebar stand, Super Medium | 8 ft | $58 |
| Pin or rebar stand, Large | 12 ft | $69 |
| Pin or rebar stand, Reinforced Large | 12 ft | $89 |
Opening day, hours and Thanksgiving
The farm opens on Sunday, November 22 at 1pm and its last day is Wednesday, December 16. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 1pm to 5:30pm and Friday and Saturday from 9am to 5:30pm, and it keeps shorter hours on Thanksgiving Day, 1pm to 5pm.
The farm posts no weather rule, no rule for selling out and no cutoff for the last cut. Call before a late-season trip.
| When | Hours |
|---|---|
| Opening day, Sunday, November 22 | Opens at 1pm |
| Sunday–Thursday | 1pm–5:30pm |
| Friday and Saturday | 9am–5:30pm |
| Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 | 1pm–5pm |
| Last day, Wednesday, December 16 | Not listed separately |
Free hot chocolate, coffee and weekend hayrides
The farm says free hot chocolate, with marshmallows, is available every day it is open, during all open hours, and its shop page also lists free coffee. The farm says families have enjoyed its hayride tradition for more than 35 years, and the hayrides are free and run on weekends.
The farm does not publish hayride times, the route or a weather rule, so ask when you arrive.
The farm shop, wreaths and bows
The shop is part of the visit. The farm lists Jim Shore Collection figurines and ornaments (Santas, snowmen, angels, Disney, Peanuts and Rudolph), a corner it calls The Snowman Nook, and an annual Hollow Creek ornament. In-house wreath makers hand-craft wreaths from fragrant, fresh-from-the-farm foliage, and the shop makes custom bows.
Wreath, bow, ornament and figurine prices are not published; confirm at the farm. The shop page says public restrooms are available and leashed dogs are welcome.
The McCartha family and the farm’s history
Mike McCartha, the owner, writes that he and his family look after the farm his father, the late JW McCartha, founded. JW planted the first trees in 1976, the farm sold its first pre-cut cedars and white pines in 1978, and the first choose-and-cut trees followed in 1980. The farm says its trees have earned more than 60 ribbons at the South Carolina State Fair, including 29 first-place finishes and 3 Best of Show.
The farm’s pages also feature an experimental cloned tree called Hollow Creek Redwood, which the farm says is not for sale. The farm’s site also has a page for summer u-cut flower days, a separate visit that is not part of a Christmas tree visit.
Payment, address and contacts
Hollow Creek Tree Farm is at 228 Windmill Rd, Gilbert, South Carolina 29054, in Lexington County. The farm’s flower-event page places parking in front of the shop and barn at that address, the same as for Christmas trees. For questions, call 803-892-3662, the number on every page of the farm’s site, or write to realtreesmakescents@gmail.com, the address the farm publishes.
A state agriculture directory entry lists cash and credit cards; the farm’s own pages do not state payment methods. They also do not describe the terrain or accessibility, so ask before you go if either matters.
Pick your day
Dates & hours.
Tree season: Opens Sunday, November 22 at 1pm; last day Wednesday, December 16
The farm’s home page gives the opening day, the last day and these hours. The farm does not publish a weather rule or a cutoff time for the last cut; call before a late-season trip.
| Christmas season | Hours |
|---|---|
| Opening day, Sunday, November 22 | Opens at 1pm |
| Sunday–Thursday | 1pm–5:30pm |
| Friday and Saturday | 9am–5:30pm |
| Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 | 1pm–5pm |
| Last day, Wednesday, December 16 | Not listed separately |
| Free hot chocolate and coffee | Offered during open hours; the farm says hot chocolate is available every open day |
| Free hayrides | Weekends; times not published |
| Weather closures and last-cut time | Not published |
These dates and hours are the ones on the farm’s home page for the current season.
Before you go.
- Opens Sunday, November 22 at 1pm; last day Wednesday, December 16. Sunday–Thursday 1pm–5:30pm, Friday and Saturday 9am–5:30pm, Thanksgiving Day 1pm–5pm.
- Every field tree is priced individually with a tag: $58–$98 at 6 ft–8 ft, $108–$198 at 9 ft–12 ft. Never cut a tree without a tag.
- Premium fresh-cut firs are $88–$148 at 6 ft–7 1/2 ft and $145–$288 at 8 ft–10 ft; this season’s Fraser arrival date is not published.
- Staff cut on request, then shake, bale and carry your tree to your vehicle; charges for these services are not published.
- Free hot chocolate, coffee and weekend hayrides; hayride times are not published.
- A state agriculture directory lists cash and credit cards; the farm does not publish terrain or accessibility details.
228 Windmill Rd, Gilbert, SC 29054
Keep exploring
Other farms to compare.
Gilbert, South Carolina
Cedar Ridge Tree FarmYou-cut trees in six varieties plus pre-cut Fraser fir, with saws provided and staff to cut, shake, net and load. Tree prices and this season’s dates are not published; confirm at the farm.
Newberry, South Carolina
Shine & Lee’s Christmas TreesChoose-and-cut Carolina Sapphire and Leyland cypress and pre-cut Fraser fir, all individually priced, with a shake, bore and bale routine. Tree prices and this season’s dates are not published; confirm at the farm.
York, South Carolina
Penland Christmas Tree FarmChoose-and-cut Leyland Cypress, Christmas Mint Cypress, Virginia Pine, Carolina Sapphire, Red Cedar and Blue Ice, with pre-cut Fraser fir from $85. Opens Friday, November 27; Monday–Saturday 9am–5:30pm, Sunday 1pm–5:30pm.