Where are you located? That could make a difference as to where the trees were shipped from. And in my area, every nursery, garden center and grocery store sells Christmas trees, many from local growers.

I know many like to put up their trees early but once cut, the trees are slowly drying out and dying. To get one now and expect it to still be in good condition by the actual holiday is pushing your luck........ And live trees have an even shorter lifespan if used indoors.

This is to order now with a delivery date later. There are plenty of places to get trees, but I'm looking for a no-contact purchase. I think it would be okay outdoors with masks, but the person I'm asking for does not want to take any chances. We're in the northeast. Some businesses several states away ship all over the country. I'm asking if anyone has dealt with one of those.

Many do and it can go well. Lately, deliveries from Pennsylvania and other locales near me are having some interesting problems with lantern flies. They lay eggs on the trees, which then hatch in the warm indoor conditions.

You then have thousands of lantern flies (large...very large...insects) all over the house. Everywhere. Jumping, flying. They neither bite nor sting, but they're...did I mention they're large? And they jump and fly energetically?

For this reason, artificial trees have suddenly become incredibly popular in Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the last few years.

This is only one cautionary tale that explains why, just sometimes, local, or locales chosen with very great care, is better. :-)

Whoa, I hadn't thought of that! I'm in Pennsylvania, in lanternfly central. They're very pretty, and hard to kill. I have not heard of any past problems from Christmas trees in our area, though.

Reading this concerned me. But per the Penn State Extension it’s low risk.

https://news.psu.edu/story/598628/2019/11/18/impact/extension-experts-risk-spotted-lanternfly-christmas-trees-minimal

Reasonably, but it's definitely been reported and does happen, and makes the paper multiple times every season. :-)

I've never actually been certain if the PSE is trolling us with a "low-risk" assessment while claiming the lantern fly is also hiding in every nook and cranny and demanding we soldier our properties and destroy the things. I have a back wall covered every year, I sure wouldn't use a tree I got from my own back yard, let's just put it that way, unless I'd inspected it myself and removed the eggs that are probably there.

Personally, I probably wouldn't be overly concerned. But if buying a tree from PA, I'd also inspect it for visible (they're quite visible) insect eggs first, stuck to the trunk. Just remove them and you're fine.

Even if you do miss a few, like Christine notes, they're attractive insects, and as I noted, harmless. Just...large and pretty energetic. A few won't bother you or harm anybody. Thousands are just...disgusting (but still won't harm anybody).

Now my own personal story does include a tree infested with ladybugs. This...doesn't sound too bad, until you realize...indoors. December. Dying everywhere. After that, my parents got an artificial and, once I bought my own home, I carried on the tradition and never got a real one to begin with because that memory was just that unpleasant.

I would have to flee my house if I got an infestation of those! Lol

Most every tree that comes to our state (Florida) is shipped from far away. We have purchased trees from church lots and big box stores.

If I wanted a tree delivered I wouldn’t hesitate ordering through Costco. I also would not complain about it if had a bare spot or funky limbs. Trees are usually cut and netted at the farm, there’s no way of knowing what it will look like if you don’t look at it before purchase.

I have noticed that the number of tree vendors that used to pop up on street corners and back parking lots have decreased significantly in the recent years. At least they have here in this eastern metro area where I live. Either there are fewer people doing this or more are using artificial trees.

I haven' put up a tree in decades. Instead, I have a very large wreath form that is made of braided limbs and I dress that with cut boughs that I used to get from the vendors who are just happy to give it to you because it is what they have trimmed from the trees on the lot. It is big, about a yard wide.

I string it with lights and hang it in a nice place between the two most used rooms and we hang our ornaments from it.

I love it. I don't have to move the furniture around to put up a tree and it takes up no real estate in my small home as it is off the floor.

I have not done that now for two years, but I might this year just to bring some light to life. It is only the two of us who will ever see it this year.