Buyers of Christmas trees are confronted with dwindling supplies and rising prices.

Even Christmas trees aren’t immune to the shortages and inflation caused by the pandemic.

This season’s supplies of both real and artificial trees have been reduced due to extreme weather and supply chain interruptions. According to industry officials, American shoppers may expect fewer options and to pay up to 30% more for both sorts this Christmas.

“It’s a double whammy,” said Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association, an industry trade group. “Floods, fires, smoke, drought, and harsh weather conditions have wreaked havoc on growers.”

Christmas tree farms in Oregon and Washington, two of the country’s top growers, were devastated by record-breaking heat and wildfires in late June.

Warner couldn’t say how many less trees there will be this year, but given that trees can take up to ten years to grow, the crop loss will be felt for several seasons.

Transporting live trees from farms to retailers and tree lots is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive due to a shortage of truck drivers.

“Shop early,” Warner advises. “Buy it if you see something you like.”

Owner Dale Pine and his nephew Stacy Valenzuela of Crystal River Christmas Trees battled to get enough trees to sell at their Alameda tree property. During the triple-digit heat wave in Oregon, several of its suppliers lost trees.

“For a while, everything was looking quite bleak,” Valenzuela added. “You’re on the phone every day, checking, ‘Hey, you get anything?'” If you do, please send it to me.’

It’s been a lot of labor to have these trees planted this year.”

This year, Crystal River had to hike pricing due to rising costs of trees, labor, and truck delivery, according to Valenzuela.

With his wife and two young children, Alameda homeowner Ian Steplowski visited the Crystal River property the day after Thanksgiving to purchase a Silvertip tree.

“Everything is in short supply, so it had to take Christmas trees,” Steplowski explained. “I’m already seeing that everything is a little more pricey this year.”

Teri Schaffert learned about the paucity of genuine trees this year and opted to purchase her first fake tree. She went to the Burlington showroom of Balsam Hill, which predominantly sells fake trees online, almost a week before Thanksgiving.

“I came in early because I read on the news that there won’t be enough fresh Christmas trees,” Schaffert, who lives in San Mateo, explained. Her husband is not pleased with the development. “Is there anything else we can do?” Because I adore Christmas, I need to prepare for the future. “I enjoy decorating.”

However, the fake tree sector is experiencing its own supply issues, as jammed ports and a shortage of trucks cause shipments to be delayed and expenses to rise, according to Caroline Tuan, Balsam Hill’s chief operating officer. This year, the company’s trees are around 20% more expensive, and there is less variety.

“We have to transport our items across from our manufacturers (in China), which has proven really difficult,” Tuan explained. “All of this has had an effect on us, and as a result, we have less trees to sell as an industry.”

Drought fears drove David Cruise and his wife to the Balsam Hill showroom this year to purchase their first artificial tree.

“This is definitely the way to go in the larger picture of climate change here in California,” Cruise, who lives in Brentwood, said. “The sooner everyone accepts the artificial tree, the sooner everyone will be able to appreciate it.”