Christmas tree prices rise as supplies remain tight

Depending on where you live in the United States, finding the perfect Christmas tree could be tougher than usual.

The Christmas tree industry is still trying to bounce back from the Great Recession which caused more consumers to spend their money on artificial trees instead of traditional live ones, according to an Associated Press report, leading to tight supply in some areas.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the number of Christmas tree farms nationwide fell 3 percent between 2012 and 2017.

North Carolina, Oregon and Michigan are reportedly the three top states in Christmas tree production.

Lack of supply not only irks consumers, but it hurts tree sellers’ bottom line, according to the AP report.

“This has been the worst season,” Sandy Parsons, a Christmas tree seller in Charleston, W.Va., told the wire service. “We lost a lot of money by that. It sets you back two or three years.”

Parsons ordered 350 trees from North Carolina, but they never arrived. She said the supplier cited short supply.

Missouri tree farmer Mike Rood told the AP that large trees could be particularly hard to find.

“The bigger trees in particular at this stage in the game are going to be harder to find,” he said. “[Consumers] need to be aware that if they’re really looking for a big tree, they need to go out and find it pretty quickly.”

However, other industry folk say that despite the tree shortage, Americans should be able to find a suitable tree, it might just take more leg work.

Missouri Christmas Tree Association President Steve Meier told the AP that he expects “there’s still going to be Christmas trees left that haven’t been chosen,” by the time Christmas arrives.