Wildfires will affect California Christmas tree business for years — and it’ll cost you
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Sacramento Thanksgiving guide
Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s your guide to the holiday — from free turkey and travel, to self care, Black Friday and Christmas preparation.
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Consumers should prepare to pay more than usual for live and fake Christmas trees this year because of climate change and supply chain issues, according to the American Christmas Tree Association.
The real Christmas tree harvest was impacted by wildfires, floods and extreme weather in Oregon, which is the number one producer of Christmas trees in the nation and where many West Coast sellers buy their trees.
As a result, the season is expected to have a limited number of trees at a higher cost.
“I think there will be a Christmas tree for everyone who wants a Christmas tree, but there are less of them on the market,” said Jami Warner, the executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association.
It takes six to 10 years to grow a Christmas tree to maturity, according to Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation. So if the crops’ seedlings have been damaged because of drought and wildfires, it’s going to impact the real tree crop for several years.
For example, California wildfires have wiped out thousands of giant sequoias and more intense fires fueled by climate change and worsening drought have plagued California forests in recent years, according to the National Park Service.
Fires also closed out areas of some popular Christmas tree-cutting forests.
Supply chain issues and higher costs
According to a 2020 U.S. Department of Agriculture Services report, climate change was already having an impact on the Christmas tree industry.
The USDA report, which compares holiday tree sales in 2015 to those in 2020, confirms a trend: In five years, the acreage growing Christmas trees dropped 24% and the total number of trees sold fell 27%.
Over the five years, the average cost of Oregon trees — which are primarily sold on the West Coast — nearly doubled, from about $18 to about $31 each.
Davis Ranch, located east of Sacramento in Sloughhouse, only got about 200 noble fir trees from Oregon this year at about $64 each, the most expensive Davis Ranch partner Rick Grimshaw has seen. The consumer absorbs some of that cost at the retail price of $120 for a typical 8-foot tree.
Grimshaw thanks supply chain demands for the influx in price.
“Now that supply is short, demand is high...the price goes through the roof,” Grimshaw said. “Every year it creeps up, it usually creeps up a few dollars, this year it crept up $5 — that’s quite a bit over the other years.”
Trees that are being shipped far away are normally cut down with a chainsaw and wrapped to protect the limbs. Some large farms in Oregon use helicopters to transfer the cut trees from where they were growing to the trucks to be shipped off, according to the Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation.
But because of several months of shipping disruptions largely due to the pandemic — port congestion, shipping containers and labor shortages have caused delays for all types of products including real and artificial holiday trees.
“Farmers are shipping less supply to market and they are having trouble finding trucks to ship those trees as well,” Warner, with the American Christmas Tree Association, said.
Both real and artificial Christmas trees are expected to see a price increase of between 10% to 30% — and while most of those costs are being absorbed by the growers, producers and retailers — consumers should expect to pay a little more at checkout, Warner said.
“We have a lot of empathy for growers, some of which have been doing this generation after generation,” she said. “It’s a tough way to make a living but they do bring a lot of joy to people...and certainly after the last couple of years that we’ve all experienced — we need as much joy in our lives as possible.
Here’s what you need to know about choosing the right tree, where to buy a live tree and some of the Black Friday deals on artificial trees ahead of the holidays:
Real vs. fake Christmas trees
Thanksgiving weekend is the traditional start of the Christmas tree buying season and Warner said if you’re interested in a real tree, that is the time to go out and buy one. If you’re looking for a live tree, buy early and right away.
“It’s going to take a little bit more savvy consumerism this Christmas but Christmas is definitely not canceled,” she said. “Anyone who wants a Christmas tree and wants to celebrate Christmas with a Christmas tree will be able to find something.”
Traditionally, real trees cost less than artificial trees, averaging $104 for an artificial and $79 for a real one, according to the American Christmas Tree Association.
But there are long-term cost savings associated with an artificial tree, with trees lasting an average of 10 years and up to 20 years for high-quality artificial trees.
If you plan to buy a live tree, check for freshness by making sure the tree still has that sappy, earthy smell. Also, check the tree for the presence of pests because they can trigger allergic reactions.
Lastly, be sure to saw off an additional half an inch of woof from the base of the tree trunk once you’re home to help preserve the tree through the holidays.
If you plan on purchasing an artificial tree, consider online reviews, the appearance of the trees and accommodating storage space in the home once it is time to put the tree away.
But before buying a tree, real or artificial, measure the space where the tree will go including height, width and depth. And bring a tape measure with you while shopping to compare.
Where to get real trees in Sacramento
Address No. 1: 5230 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento
Address No. 2: 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento
Contact: 503-979-1999 or 916-454-5492
Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday
Foothills Christmas Trees locations open on Thanksgiving Day. Fresh trees are hand-selected for Sacramento residents. All trees have been given a fresh base cut and are displayed in water stands. Sizes range from two to 16 ft and prices range from $20 to $200.
Foothill Christmas Trees over a variety of trees including noble fir, nordman fir and natural noble fir. Delivery is available based on mileage.
Address No. 1: 2424 Mission Ave., Carmichael
Address No. 2: 6041 Sunrise Mall, Citrus Heights
Address No. 3: 2380 Del Paso Rd., Sacramento
Address No. 4: 1033 Reserve Dr., Roseville
Contact: 916-832-6415
Hours of operation: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday
Mikey’s Christmas Tree Land opens on Nov. 26 at all locations. Trees cost around $74. Choose from noble fir, nordmann fir, grand fir and Douglas fir that are between 6 ft to 9 ft tall.
Chad’s Fresh Cut Christmas Trees
Address No. 1: 1300 Jefferson Blvd., West Sacramento
Address No. 2: 250 Florin Rd., Sacramento
Contact: 916-801-9472
Hours of Operation: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Chad’s Fresh Cut Christmas Trees is open Nov. 26 and offers noble fir, Douglas fir and silver tip trees for as low as $53.
Green Acres Nursery and Supply
Address: 205 Serpa Way, Folsom
Contact: 916-358-9099
Hours of operation: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Sunday
Arriving the week of Thanksgiving, noble fir and silver tip trees are given a fresh cut and placed in water to preserve freshness. Once you’ve selected your tree, the tree will be cut, shook, wrapped and tied to your car.
Free trees are available while supplies last for immediate family members of actively deployed troops.
Address: 13211 Jackson Rd., Sloughhouse
Contact: 916-682-2658
Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Sunday
Starting on Nov. 26, all of Davis Ranch’s choose-and-cut Christmas trees are $45.99 for any tree of any height. Some of the trees available are Douglas fir, incense cedar and Nordmann fir. Pre-cut trees may be available but call before you visit.
Black Friday artificial tree deals
Shop deals up to 50% off with trees starting at $89. The price depends on tree shape, height, needle and lightning options. Colorful trees are also available.
Shop deals up to 5% off from the National Tree Association with average height trees starting at around $94.
Shop Best Choice Products’ artificial trees with deals up to 40% off. Colorful artificial trees are available. Score shop deals up to 60% off from the Costway brand with average-height trees starting at $40.
Shop deals on Glitzhome trees. The sale ends Dec. 1.
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Wildfires will affect California Christmas tree business for years — and it’ll cost you."
