Upper Marlboro's Christmas Tree Farms Grow Their Own, and Last Season Both Ended by Appointment Only

Upper Marlboro has two choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms: Ashland Farm on Marlboro Pike and Linden Hill on Old Crain Highway. Neither one trucks in a trailer of northern trees. Ashland describes its stock as "all trees grown on site and cut to order." Last year's season shows what that means. Ashland's website still says "Sold Out for the season," with Saturday open by appointment and every other day closed. Linden Hill's site still lists its 2025 remaining hours as "appointments only."

So the national tree supply tells you little about the field on Marlboro Pike. A grower survey published September 23, 2026 by Morning Ag Clips found that 85% of the 47 wholesale growers surveyed rated 2026 supply strong or very strong, and 91% did not plan to raise wholesale prices. That is good news for tree lots that buy wholesale. A family farm in Upper Marlboro can only sell what it planted years ago and what made it through the summers since.

A tree cut in 2026 was planted around 2019

The clearest example of that lag is a farm farther south. Cedar Lane Farms in Marbury, Charles County, says 2026 is "the first year we're cutting trees we planted ourselves, starting in 2019." That works out to seven growing seasons between planting and the first saw.

Any farm that grows its own works on the same clock. The trees in a choose-and-cut field this Black Friday were picked years ago, and some kinds did better in local ground than others. Ashland's history follows that arc. The family has owned the land for generations, but it only began planting Christmas trees in 2007. Ashland calls itself "a small operation, but a meaningful one," and says many customers come back year after year.

What Southern Maryland clay decided at Ashland

Ashland's website reads like the notes from almost two decades of trial and error. Its frankest line is about a tree most people would expect to find on any farm:

"Over the years we've found that Douglas Firs don't prefer the clay soil and high temps in our region-- they tend to grow a bit thinner, but they retain their strong, Christmas-y scent. We no longer plant them, but those we have left are great for wreath bases or scented sachets."

What the farm grows now reflects what did survive here:

• Balsam fir. Most of Ashland's trees are Balsams, which it calls a close relative of the classic Fraser fir. It describes them as well-shaped, disease resistant and "hardy enough to withstand the heat of Southern Maryland summers."
• Canaan fir. These are similar to Balsams but a little narrower and taller, and once trimmed they can fit a tight space.
• Concolor fir. Ashland lists Concolor firs among the trees it grows on site and cuts to order.
• Norway spruce. The farm calls these "gigantic," with dense, dark needles. They suit a large room or an outdoor tree, and Ashland says the prickly needles can keep cats away.

The Douglas firs still in the ground are the ones planted before the farm stopped. Those leftovers explain why a field like this runs out. No new stock replaces them, and the Balsams going in now take years to reach cutting size.

Two farms, two sets of house rules

The two Upper Marlboro farms also run differently at the field, at the saw and at the register. It pays to know which is which before you load the car.

Ashland Farm, 16109 Marlboro Pike

According to Ashland's site, its season starts on Black Friday, and visitors can walk the fields Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Trees run $60 to $120 and are tagged in the field. If a tree has no tag, or you think the tag is wrong, the farm invites you to "make us an offer!"

You choose the tree and staff cut it. If you want to cut it yourself, bring your own saw. A few pre-cut trees are also available. Every tree gets shaken and blown out, and baling is free on request, but trees wider than 4 feet across are too big to bale. Staff will help load and tie trees to cars at no charge. Payment options are wide: cash, tap-to-pay, Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, Apple Pay and check. The farm posts updates on Instagram and also takes calls or texts at 301-627-3584.

Linden Hill Christmas Tree Farm, 4102 Old Crain Highway

Linden Hill works in nearly the opposite way. It takes cash or local check only, with no credit or debit cards, and says that "has always been our policy." It lends bow saws free and allows no outside saws except a bow saw. Axes, chainsaws and jigsaws are banned. Hand carts are free to use, and so is blowing out and baling. The farm also sells tree stands, tree bags and tree preservative.

Pets are welcome on a leash held at all times. Phone photos are encouraged, and staff will take the picture if you ask, but professional photography is not allowed. Last season's appointment process went like this: call (301) 627-3768, leave your name, cell number and the date and time you want to come, and the farm calls back to set it up.

Put the two farms side by side and the planning comes down to two things. At Linden Hill, bring cash or a local check. At Ashland, bring a saw if you want to cut the tree yourself.

When the in-town fields thin out, two farms open Nov. 27

Both farms that have posted 2026 dates open the day after Thanksgiving, which falls on November 26 this year. Neither is in Upper Marlboro, and they offer two very different outings.

Knightongale Farm is at 3924 Solomons Island Road in Harwood, at the corner of Route 2 and Birdsville Road in Anne Arundel County. The 82-acre family farm is marking its 25th year. Its Christmas tree page lists November 27 as opening day for fresh-cut trees, garland, fresh wreaths, a fire pit and tree accessories. It takes cash only and has an ATM on site.

Cedar Lane Farms at 5145 Bicknell Road in Marbury is the farm cutting its 2019 plantings for the first time. Its field has Fraser, Canaan and Concolor firs. Staff will cut your tree or you can cut it yourself, and either way the farm shakes and bales it. Pre-cut trees sit around the barn. The season runs November 27, 2026 through January 2, 2027. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The farm is closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The late hours are for the evening program, not for cutting trees. The tree field and the hayride both close at dusk. After dark, the draw is Candy Cane Lane, a walking trail of hand-painted Christmas scenes by local artists, lit with more than 10,000 lights. It costs $15 per person, and children under 3 get in free. The ticket covers the trail, a scavenger hunt, ornament painting and hot cocoa. Many extras are free: Santa in the barn on select dates, a Santa Obstacle Course, goat feeding, an evening bonfire with carols, and daylight hayrides. The farm shop sells soy candles, bath salts and goat milk soap made on the farm, plus baked goods and s'more packs for the bonfire. Its listing tells drivers to look for the red caboose.

Putting Black Friday weekend together

Since local fields run out, the order of stops matters more than the exact day. A plan that fits the farms' own schedules:

1. Check the farm's current status first. Look at Ashland's Instagram or call Linden Hill before you leave. Both farms ended last season by appointment.
2. Go to the in-town field early in the season. Ashland's site describes a season that starts on Black Friday, with fields open Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A farm that sells only what it grew has nothing to restock with, so the choice gets smaller as the weekends go by.
3. Pack for the farm you're visiting. Bring cash or a local check for Linden Hill and cash for Knightongale. Bring your own saw for Ashland if you want to cut. Measure the room, because Ashland can't bale a tree more than 4 feet wide.
4. Plan Cedar Lane around sunset. Pick a tree while it's light, then stay for Candy Cane Lane after the field closes.

Your tree came out of a field someone planted years ago, and the stand under it decides how long it lasts through December. When the holidays get you thinking about the house that tree goes in, whether that means a bigger living room or a yard with space to plant your own, The Dapo Group can help you sort out the next move. Book a Discovery Call.