U.S. may see Christmas tree shortage for 2018

Shoppers should expect to see higher prices when buying a tree due to shortage

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Finding the perfect Christmas tree to trim may be more difficult this year.

Shoppers should expect to see higher prices when buying a tree due to a shortage. Nearly a decade ago, a number of Christmas tree farms were forced out of business because of the recession.

That shift in the market has now led to a smaller supply of trees because of the amount of time it takes to grow a Christmas tree. It takes between seven and 15 years for a tree to grow from a seedling to somewhere around 6 or 7 feet tall, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.  

Between 25 million and 30 million Christmas trees are sold in the U.S. every year.