As was predicted earlier this year, Christmas tree supplies throughout Oregon — and the Pacific Northwest more broadly — are experiencing mass shortages.
Nationwide supply chain and labor issues have been disrupting people’s holiday shopping, and the Christmas tree industry is no exception. This is coupled with another devastating factor: thousands of Christmas trees have suffered in the aftermath of the record-breaking heat wave in June.
Vanessa Bunker, co-owner of the Beaverton Holiday U-Cut Tree Farm, said that over 60% of the trees they had planted last winter were lost to the heat wave.
“The dry conditions over the past few years have really affected the growth of the trees,” said Bunker. “So they’ve grown much slower. We’ve had a lot of attrition, so a lot of replanting of the seedlings.”
A smaller selection of live trees isn’t the only shortage affecting the number of Christmas trees people might have in their homes. Labor issues have included a shortage of truck drivers to deliver shipments of artificial trees, which has led to many delays.
Consequently, experts say that prospective tree buyers should expect to pay 10% to 30% more for both live and artificial trees this year — and to try to get their shopping done earlier, while they’re at it.
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