Local nursery bringing holiday trees to homes since 1953

By CARA LORELLO

Staff Reporter

When it comes to Christmas trees, local businessman Emory Clark of Hi-Country Nursery knows his stuff.

After all, he got his start earlier as a 14-year-old kid in Idaho, clearing trees from farmers' land and carting them off in his pickup to take to lots for sale. He's done tree lot sales almost every winter since then, starting his business in 1953. Though he took time off through the years long enough to earn a mater's degree, transition from a struggling career as a school teacher in California to being a probation officer for eight years with Spokane County, Clark said he's never lost interest in the tree business, and likely never will.

Clark's two tree lots, one located at the corner of Hayford Road and Highway 2 in Airway Heights, the other in Spokane at Hamilton and Indiana, have brought both forest-grown and tree farm-grown pines into homes for several decades now.

“I think I might do it forever,” Clark said of working in the tree business. “It's so refreshing, going up to those mountains every year,” he added of the forests of Montana's Lolo National Forest, where the bulk of his tree stock comes from. The rest of Hi-Country's trees are bought wholesale from commercial tree farms, and both lots have about six varieties, each ranging from 3-20 feet tall.

Hi-Country specializes in the forest-grown Alpine and Grand firs, the wild stock being the biggest seller.

“More people I find come in looking for the wild trees than the plantation-grown ones. They're just beautiful, more so than the plantation trees, I my opinion,” Clark said.

For forest-grown varieties, there's also Douglas firs and spruces, which also come in farm-grown stock along with grand/balsam firs and nobles.

The way one can tell the difference between farm- and wild-grown trees is the fullness of the branches, Clark said. Farm-grown stock gets sheerings in early spring, creating a re-growth pattern that gives the tree a rather crowded, stocky look, something Clark said most of his customers like to avoid because a thinner built-tree, like the Alpine, allows for ornaments to hang more visibly.

Christmas, Clark said, is his off-season, even though one would think that's the busiest time for tree demand.

“I do much more business in the spring and fall, actually. That's when I sell to commercial nurseries,” Clark said, whose area nursery clients include Environment West, Plantland, and Alderwood Landscape. He also sells to businesses in Seattle, where several members of his family live. Clark himself currently resides in Airway Heights, and each year divides his time between his tree lots with one full-time helper during the week and two part-timers on weekends. Hi-Country's lots usually open each year on Dec. 1, and stay open until Dec. 23.

This year, Clark said he's noticed more shoppers on a tight budget, and as a new special, he's offering 10 percent discount coupons per family, and 20 percent for people with military, law enforcement and fire identification.

“You get a customer who's bought enough trees, they know a forest-grown one from a tree-farm grown one. Farm-growns are more affordable if you are on a budget,” Clark said, who prices wild trees at $4 per foot, and $7 for farm-growns.

Another new thing at the lots this year: an Elvis Presley impersonator/helper, and the King's holiday music spinning away during business hours to liven up shoppers' spirits if they're in need of some cheer, he added.

“We'll be playing Elvis Christmas music all week. It's a real spectacle to see, and the people seem to enjoy it,” Clark said.

For discounts and coupon information, contact Hi-Country Nursery at (509) 701-5388, or 244-6531.

Cara Lorello can be reached at [email protected]