Shoppers may buy fewer holiday gifts this year, but they don't appear to be skimping on Christmas trees.

Local tree farms say opening weekend Christmas tree sales have far outpaced last year's numbers.

At Davis Ranch tree farm in Sloughhouse, sales were up 10 percent – about 120 trees – from last year. It's early yet, but Sloughhouse manager Jim Ayers has a theory.

"I think people are still going to buy trees and decorate their houses, but buy fewer presents," he said.

Despite brisk Black Friday retail sales, consumer confidence and spending are in the doldrums and retailers are struggling in ways not seen in decades.

But many families, especially younger ones, still plan to celebrate the holidays with an evergreen, said Rick Dungey, a spokesman for the Missouri-based National Christmas Tree Association, which represents the $14 billion farm-grown Christmas tree industry.

Consumers are expected to buy some 35 million natural trees this holiday season, according to the association, up from 31.3 million in 2007 and 28.6 million in 2006. Some cut their own tree, some shop at seasonal tree lots, and a growing number are buying at big-box retailers such as Home Depot.

A short shopping season after a late Thanksgiving may have spurred last weekend's sales, but the late start to the season also means added pressure for tree sellers.

"Thanksgiving jumped forward five days. That took away a whole weekend," Dungey said.

Still, "people who want a tree are going to get a tree. In general, young people are craving a tradition. That's creating an upsurge in real trees," Dungey said.

"We'll splurge and get a really nice tree," said Cathy Yayesaki of Sacramento, who plans to pick the family tree at a Land Park lot this weekend. "They deliver it to the house and even set it up. It saves our marriage every year," she added with a chuckle.

Shoppers are scooping up favorites such as the noble fir, perennials such as the Douglas fir, and the flavor of the month, the Nordmann fir.

With its lush, naturally frosted needles, "the Nordmann is the hot tree right now," said Sam Minturn, executive director of the California Christmas Tree Association in Turlock.

A European favorite for years, its seeds come from Turkey and central Asia, he said. Domestically, it's grown in several states, including tree-growing giants Oregon and Washington. Minturn said an increasing number of California growers are cultivating the tree and said he has become a convert himself.

"I used to be a Johnny Appleseed for incense cedar; now it's the Nordmanns," he said.

Christmas tree prices generally are calculated by the size and type of tree. A rough range would be $30 to $40 for a 7- to 8-foot Douglas fir, Minturn said, while a similarly sized noble fir could be $80 or more.

Donna Springer of Sacramento said, "We plan to buy our Christmas tree at Target. It's just a couple of blocks from home. The trees are nice and the prices are good."

At the Broadway Target on Tuesday, a 7- to 8-foot Douglas was going for $36.99.

Home Depot has become the nation's largest retailer of fresh-cut trees. The Atlanta-based retailer plans to sell about 2 million trees from Thanksgiving to Christmas. All its trees are American-grown, the company said, and most sold in California come from Oregon.

At the Home Depot in West Sacramento on Tuesday, 7- to 8-foot Douglas firs were offered for $34.97.

"Our logic in getting into tree sales was that we wanted to be a one-stop shop for the holidays," said Home Depot spokeswoman Kathryn Gallagher.

For many, the true tree experience comes at choose-and-cut farms. More than 50 such farms are in operation in El Dorado, Nevada, Placer and Sacramento counties.

"Sales have been absolutely fantastic. We've had near-record numbers," said James Austin, manager of Forest Creek Christmas Trees in Galt.

Austin said Forest Creek sold nearly 600 trees Thanksgiving weekend and expects to sell about 900 this weekend.

Austin said sales had decreased in recent years as consumers gravitated toward artificial trees. But sales have rebounded this year.

"Over last year, we had a 3-4 percent increase," he said. "That doesn't sound like a lot, but for this kind of business, that's huge."

And, in the Plumas National Forest north of Sacramento, U.S. Forest Service officials and local businesses expect to sell about 10,000 tree permits at $10 each, said Forest Service spokeswoman Lee Anne Schramel. Tahoe and Eldorado national forests do not offer permits.

About 16 percent of Christmas tree shoppers cut the trees themselves, the national association reported.

Jim Lofgren of Folsom, after years of shopping at a local lot, often paying $100 or more, decided to cut his own tree this year.

He found a tree at a farm while shopping for a Thanksgiving apple pie at Apple Hill near Placerville.

"After 20 minutes, we found the best tree on the lot and cut it down to haul home on the top of the car. It was only $50," Lofgren said. "Not only did we save quite a bit of money, we picked up another memory along the way."

Call The Bee's Darrell Smith, (916) 321-1040.