young trees. She would point out the saplings in her garden where squirrels had buried acorns. Using a spade, she would carefully dig up the saplings to replant them.
Fannin’s passion for nature continued into adulthood. He and his wife, Cindy, began a lawn care business where they discovered a market for growing and planting trees. So in the 1970s, they founded Fannin Tree Farm in Frisco.
Fannin Tree Farm has been in Frisco for more than 40 years and is the largest tree contractor in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Though the founders are now retired, two of their sons still run the daily operations, business manager Clair Skinner said.
The tree farm offers up to 20 varieties of trees for sale and installation. The business only offers trees that are local to Texas or can thrive in the state’s climate, Skinner said.
“We stay with what we know and what’s best for our area,” she said. “We don’t branch out.”
All of Fannin Tree Farm’s trees come from the business’ growing ranch in Howe, Texas. The trees are nurtured there for a few years before being transported to sell at the 15-acre farm in Frisco.
“There’s a lot of care that goes into those trees,” Skinner said. “They’re our heart and soul.’”
Most of Fannin Tree Farm’s customers are residents looking for shade or ornamental trees for their homes. Some of the most popular trees for homeowners are Vitex trees, which bloom in the summer; live oaks, which are evergreen; and Chinese pistache, whose leaves turn red in the fall.
The tree farm also works with commercial businesses and municipalities. Fannin Tree Farm has contracts with the cities of Frisco, McKinney and Irving, Skinner said.
Trees comes with a one-year guarantee, but Skinner said the relationship between Fannin Tree Farm and its customers does not end at that point. She said the business prides itself on helping customers care for the trees when they go to their “forever home.”
“The Fannin difference is that our customer service is just as important on the back side as it is on the front side,” Skinner said. “We work really hard to help our customers with anything. ... We don’t just sell you your tree and after one year go, ‘Bye.’ We have lifetime customers.”
Fannin Tree Farm
15700 SH 121, Frisco
972-747-9233
www.fannintreefarm.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.
