North Carolina is one of the nation's leading producers and sellers of Christmas trees. It’s ranked second in the U.S. for Christmas trees harvested and sold. But, tree buyers will see increased prices this year.
“Because of inflation, most places will see up to a 15% increase in the price of trees,” said Jeff Owen, extension forestry specialist at North Carolina State University.
Owen said depending on where you go, the average cost of a Christmas tree right now is $80 or more.
Inflation has caused some growers in the Christmas tree industry to lose their business because they can no longer deal with the cost to maintain it.
“We've seen a reduction in the number of farms in North Carolina and so having the prices keep up with inflation is really important to the sustainability of the industry,'' said Owen.
Owen said another factor to take into account when seeing increased prices could include the time it takes to grow a tree, which can take up to 10 years.
“Although it's a little costly, now is still the best time to buy a tree instead of waiting closer to Christmas,” he said.
