In the Kula Botanical Garden’s 50 years of operation by the McCord family, the Kona low storm that swept through Maui last year during the holidays was the worst the Christmas tree farm and garden experienced.

But one year later, the property located on the slopes of Haleakala is nearing full recovery, just in time for the annual Christmas tree sale that begins Friday.

“It’s always a go, go, go time of year,” said Kevin McCord, son of owner and founder Warren McCord, on Tuesday morning. “It’s lots of fun. We have family and friends coming from the Mainland and Oahu to help out. It’s always fun.”

Established in 1968, the Kula Botanical Garden has become one of the largest grower of Christmas trees in Hawaii. Together, the family plants, prunes and harvests a new crop of fragrant Monterey pine trees every year for the annual sale that people islandwide come to attend.

Hopefully there are no surprises like last holiday season when, on Dec. 5, 2021, the Kona low storm swept through the property on Sunday night, just after the garden had wrapped up Christmas tree sales for the season.

“At one point the weather service said that it was once-in-a-thousand-year storm,” McCord recalled.

The maintenance yard, tool shed, tools and equipment were lost in the flood, and the botanical garden endured significant damages that forced its closure for about a month. About 120 Christmas trees were also lost in the storm, McCord said.

All three gulches on the property had “massive mudslides come down them,” he said.

“There was just debris littered everywhere,” he added.

More than $13,000 was raised to help the family cover costs of the damage and equipment, according to the GoFundMe page, and McCord said several hundred community members helped to remove debris and clean up the garden.

The family is grateful for the donations and volunteer work, he said.

“Many hands made lighter work, but in the end, we’ve taken over 200 big dump truck loads of debris and dirt and stuff off the property,” he said.

Most of the garden has since reopened, which was the family’s main focus.

“We’re recovering. We’re not back to 100 percent yet,” he said.

Still, he said the family is excited for the 2022 Christmas tree sale, which begins Friday and runs through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Another sale will take place on Dec. 11 and 12; however, trees sold out last year during the first weekend.

There are about 600 to 700 trees available for purchase, ranging from about 3 to 12 feet in height. Due to inflation, prices are slightly higher this year, with a 6-foot tree priced at $80.

Staff will help clean and load the tree onto a vehicle during the sale.

There will also be wreaths, centerpieces and cut-greens available, as well as oversized trees for local businesses and hotels.

The garden is located at 638 Kekaulike Ave. For more information, call (808) 878-1715.

Another spot for Christmas tree sales Upcountry, Kula Kelly’s Farm, will be opening its gates at 742 Holopuni Road at 2 p.m. Thursday to sell its Norfolk pines, owner Kelly Bass said. The farm will sell until the trees are all gone. If some are still remaining, the gates will open again on Saturday from 9 a.m. until all the trees have been sold.

Bass said that “between the drought and slow regrowth,” there just haven’t been as many trees this year. The farm went from 44 trees in 2020 and 34 in 2021 to 10 this year. However, she’ll still be selling the 5- to 10-foot trees she does have at a price of $10 per foot, a rate that hasn’t increased in 17 years, Bass said.

She recently ordered 100 trees from Hawaii island; once they’re big enough to put in the ground, they’ll take about two years to grow big enough to sell.

“I do what I gotta do to keep the farm going, but I lose money every year,” Bass acknowledged.

Bass said people can call or text her at (808) 280-7404 for more information about the Christmas tree sales.

* Dakota Grossman can be reached at dgrossman@mauinews.com. Managing Editor Colleen Uechi contributed to this report.