by KYW's David Madden

We’ve all heard about how the down economy is likely to affect holiday shopping trends. Well, how about one of the season’s signature symbols - the Christmas tree?

A tree grower in Montgomery County, Pa. expects to rake in his usual share of “green” this year.

Gary Hague has been selling trees out of his Hatfield farm for a quarter century now. Growing them for 35. And one thing he’s learned over that time:

"People are going to have a Christmas tree no matter what. If that’s their tradition, they will get a Christmas tree."

Then again, it’s not like they can just stop on a dime. It takes about 10 years to grow a tree for holiday harvest. Still, Hague’s been doing some informal checking around with neighbors and friends, and they’ve told him they’ll be buying when the time comes, starting just after Thanksgiving.

And just in case you’re wondering, prices won’t be all that different this year as compared to last.

Learn more about Hague's trees at www.hagueschristmastrees.com.