Christmas Tree Shortage And PA: What To Know

PENNSYLVANIA — A national Christmas tree shortage that started last year is continuing into the 2021 holiday season, and this year is likely to be worse than 2020 for much of the country. While Pennsylvania doesn't face some of the more dire issues of Western states, several factors will still likely make it harder, and more expensive, to find the right tree this holiday season.

Last year, with people homebound for the holidays, was a record year for Christmas tree sales. That forced suppliers to cut and ship trees that normally would have been given another year to grow. While an expected increase in holiday travel may cut into last year's record demand, Christmas tree sellers are now dealing with record-low supply.

An industry insider is advising tree shoppers to snag what's available before it's too late.

“If I can give one piece of advice to consumers right now, it is to find and buy your Christmas tree early," American Christmas Tree Association Executive Director Jami Warner said.

"Consumers who delay their tree purchase will face limited selection and fewer options than in years past," the association noted in a consumer advice news release.

The shortage impacts artificial trees as well.

"The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing economic recovery has overwhelmed the U.S. supply chain with increased demand for consumer goods, raw materials, and transportation," the association added. "Retailers predict that this overload could quadruple shipping costs compared to 2020. This supply chain overload means that there will be fewer artificial trees available for consumer purchase this season, and those that are available will come with a higher price tag."

Furthermore, in Pennsylvania, farms were already in recovery mode after some 15,000 diseased trees were burned statewide four years ago. Many farms replanted, but others did not, as WNEP reported.

Yet another reason you may pay more for a Christmas tree this year: high gas prices, as shipping costs have more than tripled in the past three years.

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture urges residents to buy locally, which supports small economies that rely on shorter supply chains and require less shipping.

"As we share in day of thanks and giving, let us show gratitude to the farmers and agriculture workers who make it possible for food to reach our dinner tables this holiday season," Secretary Russell Redding said in a statement. "Shopping locally and looking for items with the PA Preferred logo is a great way to directly say 'thank you' while giving back to the farmers and local businesses who supply our dinner tables every day of the year."

There is some reason for optimism in Pennsylvania. Some industry experts remain confident that while prices and availability may be impacted, it's unlikely that Pennsylvanians will find themselves unable to buy a tree. That's partially due to the sheer number of farms.

“We’ve never run out of trees,” Michelle Keyser, director of communications for the Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers Association, told the York Daily Record recently. “It’s not like a toilet paper situation.”

It's also due to the fact that the severe fires that ripped through swaths of the West this year, a major contributor to the national scarcity, did not impact Pennsylvania's farms.