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Christmas tree shortage pushes prices higher

Published  December 2, 2019 11:02am PST
Holidays
KTVU FOX 2

Christmas tree shortage means higher prices

If you haven't shopped for your Christmas tree yet, you may have sticker shock when you do.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Shopping for the perfect Christmas tree this year may come with some sticker shock.

Growers said it's all due to the 2008 recession. A tree takes nearly 10 years to grow and customers bought fewer trees during the financial crisis. 

As a result, growers didn't plant as many seeds, leading to fewer trees this year. 

"It's very expensive, and it's a long term investment to grow a Christmas tree so when we got into that recession, many people decided they couldn't do it anymore," said one Christmas tree grower. 

The National Christmas Tree Association said last year there was a 20 %  increase in the purchase of real trees. More demand and a short supply mean higher prices. The average price of a tree this year is $76.