Where to buy a Christmas tree in London

Alexandra Palace is a seriously Christmassy place in and of itself - so what could be better than taking a festive trip there for a Christmas tree? Nothing, that’s what. The garden centre there is a great spot all year round, but it goes all out for Christmas, selling potted trees and freshly cut ones, and even festive lights and decor. 

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This independent garden centre is well loved in Battersea, for its wide array of floral bouquets, trendy house plants, potted firs and more. It’s also a cute AF day out, with homemade signs saying things like ‘plant magic’ lining the walls. Grab your Christmas tree there, or get it delivered if you’re local. 

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South Londoners know not to be put off by the fact that Brockley Market is in a car park, as its massive array of fresh fish, veg and delicious cheese and charcuterie is unmatched in the area. Come Christmas, it’s also a cracking place for all your Christmas tree needs - you can order one for collection or take your pick in the moment.

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We love Camden Garden Centre for a number of reasons here at Time Out. And not just because they sell great Christmas trees come late November, but because they employ disadvantaged Londoners too. The fabulous staff here have a ton of knowledge for your tree needs, and they also sell wreaths, holly and mistletoe. 

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Fancy something a little more upmarket? Check out the Chelsea Gardener, a lovely little green oasis in the heart of Chelsea, with some seriously nice festive bits on offer. Choose from an array of Christmas trees, ornaments, wreaths and decorations. Oh, and there’s a café. Marvellous. 

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Trees of all varieties – including noble and Fraser firs as well as non-drop Nordmanns – are packed into branches of The Christmas Forest. There are 11 ‘forests’ dotted around the city (including Stoke Newington, Highbury, Ealing and Dulwich) from which you can collect your tree (to help you get in the festive mood), or you can select one for delivery. It’s an eco-friendly enterprise too: they’ve planted more than 250,000 trees in Africa. They usually appear towards the end of November.

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Husband-and-wife duo John and Lulu have been providing the people of south-east London with Nordmann firs since 2009. The idea is that you click online and collect at one of their four London forecourts, including one outside Crofton Park Library. Or order a date and time slot for delivery to your London postcode – with the option of recycling collection after the festive period, too. They also offer stands, lights and decs too.

More info here.

This stately nursery has been a horticulturalist’s paradise since 1851 and in that time it’s learned how to do Christmas very well. In between its topiarised box trees and hothouses, it’s got a dedicated Christmas shop filled with sparkling decorations. Plus, you can pick up lush Nordmann firs in sizes ranging from two-and-a-half feet to more than ten feet tall. They’ve even price-locked them for 2021! 

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Bushy firs are joining the hordes of browsers at what must be London’s most visually appealing market. The stalls are flogging a range of evergreens and festive flora, each with its own deals and prices. Head down there on Wednesdays in the run-up to Christmas, when the independent shops lining the street stay open till 9pm and carol singers serenade shoppers.

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In order to offer the freshest of firs, online-only company Creekside Christmas collects its pines (traditional Norway spruces, Fraser firs and non-drop Nordmann firs) from a farm every morning. With an extensive delivery area across the capital, which includes central and postcodes N, NW, EC, E, SE, SW, WC, W, SM and CR, the Creekside team declare themselves the ‘cheapest supplier of Christmas trees to your door in London’. They can collect your old tree too.

More info here.

A product of 2020, Green Elf Trees was established to deliver sustainable Christmas trees that might otherwise go to waste to London homes. After Christmas, they get replanted back into the wild. Last year, the company employed out-of-work musicians and entertainers to deliver its trees across London, but thankfully they're all back at work now. With every purchase, they make a £3 donation to a charity of your choice. Choose from six charities, including one supporting Ukrainians displaced from their homes. 

Find out more here.  

Cosily ensconced in John Lewis’s pine-scented log cabin, it’s easy to forget that you’re mere moments from the throngs of Oxford Street. Discover two British-grown tree varieties mixed in with John Lewis’s faux versions. There are Fraser, Nordmann and Korean firs available from the end of November.

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Morden Hall Park is a fully fledged National Trust park on the banks of the Wandle tributary. You can go and get your Christmas tree from its garden centre. These trees are very much guilt-free: grown using tried-and-tested, old-school farming methods and hand-pruned and tended over several years before harvesting.

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This wonderful nursery on the fringes of Wandsworth Common is one of the largest in the capital. In preparation for Christmas, it’s fills with trees of all different sizes and types, festive wreaths and garlands, twinkling lights and glittering decorations.

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This large garden centre on leafy Bishop’s Avenue is a sparkling one-stop festive shop kitted out with crafty decorations and ornaments, gifts and trees galore – all arriving in late November. There’s even artificial foliage for those whose track record with houseplants isn’t great. Anyone with greener fingers should nab one of the lush, hand-picked, fir-real evergreens.

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The online garden centre filling London’s homes and offices with lush houseplants of all shapes and sizes is upping its game for Christmas. Pick between Bruce, a small Blue Spruce and Neva, a taller Norfolk Pine. Or there’s Priya, a mini potted tree, for those who are spatially challenged.

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Truly joyous at any time of year, Petersham Nurseries is possibly at its most spectacular at Christmas. Visit the original Richmond branch to peruse British-grown trees in an assortment of shapes and sizes, alongside exquisite wreaths and imaginative decorations. They also do seasonal crafting workshops.

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Formerly the Truman’s social club, Big Penny Social in Walthamstow is the UK’s biggest beer hall. Not the place you’d necessarily search for a Christmas tree, sure, but you’d be missing a trick not to give it a go - there’s actually a Christmas Tree Market there every Saturday, so you can grab one after a few tipples. The best part? You get a complimentary mulled wine with every tree purchased. Now that’s a sell. Plus if you can’t make it down, you can order online too. Simples. 

Brothers Josh and Sam Lyle founded Pines and Needles as teenagers in 1995, flogging trees from a horse box on their Scottish family farm. They’re now based in 30 locations in London (including Crystal Palace, Victoria Park, Notting Hill and Kenwood House), which open from late November and where kilted salesman will help you pick up various firs in sizes up to nine feet. 

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This beautiful labyrinth of a nursery has sat quietly off the Earl’s Court Road since the nineteenth century. Every winter it stocks a marvellously fragrant selection of top-notch Christmas trees, which are available to order or can be bought on the day. Its florist can also rustle up some gorgeous festive wreaths and garlands.

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The folk at this landscaping company trawl round the country’s Christmas tree farms to pick out the perfect evergreens to sell. You can buy their fine firs – plus wreaths, lights, holly and bundles of spruce – at five collection points across west London from late November. Or order one online for delivery, with the option of instalment when the spruce gets to yours, too. No option for dealing with the clean-up after Christmas, mind you.

More info here.

Online retailer The Stem says its mission is to ‘share the joy of plants’. What better time of year to grab a slice of that joy than at Christmas, when the company is selling Nordmann firs from £50, grown sustainably and with free delivery all around the city? Joyous indeed. These little Christmas trees come delivered in pots. Cute. 

More info here.