BOZEMAN — It’s that time of year when families head out to find the perfect Christmas tree.
But have you ever wondered where that perfect tree actually comes from?
“Some of them have a little bit of a bluish-green cast, some of them are a little greener. They’re very dense,” said Jerry Cashman as he walked among rows of evergreens.
Third-generation Montana nurseryman reveals secrets behind Christmas tree business
Cashman has been in the nursery business in Bozeman since 1966.
“I’m a third-generation nurseryman. My grandfather started Cashman Nursery in 1898. My father came to Bozeman in 1926,” he said.
The Cashman Nursery off Springhill Road, run by Jerry, his wife, and two sons, opened in 1975. Just a year later, the family expanded the business to include something a little more festive: Christmas trees.
“Initially, we were primarily just wild trees that we’d go out and cut in the forest,” Cashman said.
They’ve been selling trees from their West Main Street location since the beginning. Over time, the business grew—and so did the number of trees.
“The total sales of Christmas trees for us includes probably close to 1,000 wild trees locally cut and collected here in Montana, and then about another 1,000 tree-farm trees from northern Idaho or from Minnesota,” Cashman explained.
And of those 2,000 trees? Jerry tells me they sell: “All of ’em,”.
When it comes to local Montana trees, many families buy a $5 Christmas tree permit and cut their own. But Cashman’s process is different.
“We cannot cut them off Forest Service land. We have to cut them off private property. We have to develop relationships with landowners. And that’s where we are today—up on the north end of the Bridgers,” he said.
They also travel to Seeley Lake and Eureka — two more Christmas tree hot spots.
Jerry told MTN that Eureka once held the title of Christmas Tree Capital of the United States, shipping more than 3 million trees after World War II.
That said, not every type of Christmas tree grows in Montana.
You’ll find Douglas firs and subalpine firs, but if you want a Fraser fir, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
“They either come from northern Idaho or central Minnesota,” Cashman said.
Semi-trucks haul 600 to 700 trees at a time from plantation farms, bringing Fraser firs, balsam firs, and more to meet customers’ holiday needs.
“It’s very gratifying,” Cashman said. “Last Friday, I had someone in for their 40th year. On Sunday, I had someone for their 25th year. That’s why, at 77 years old, I’m still here.”
As for what kind of tree the Christmas tree expert chooses for his own home?
“This is a subalpine fir. This is the tree you’ll find in Jen and Jerry Cashman’s house,” he said.
The Cashmans keep their tree up until January 6, the 12th day of Christmas.
You can get a tree from the Cashman's at their Springhill Road location or their West Main farm seven days a week.
