Growers Struggle To Meet Demand For Christmas Trees

If you're planning on having a real Christmas tree this year, it might be a good idea to shop early - availability  is expected to be tight.

The smaller harvest is part of a trend that began a few years ago.

Doug Hundley, a North Carolina based seasonal spokesman for the National Christmas Tree Association, says what's happening to the market for live trees now can be traced back to the Great Recession.

”Christmas tree sales were down, the growers didn't sell as many trees, so they didn't have room to plant back as many,” he says. “They (also) had revenue problems because of the low sales, so the planting didn't happen to handle the large demand we have now.”

It takes from seven to 12 years to grow a mature tree, Hundley says. He's expecting supplies to rise again within the next few years, reflecting the rebound in the economy as the Great Recession ended.

North Carolina is the second-largest exporting state in the country for Christmas trees, trailing only Oregon.