Spruce scarcity: Are there enough Christmas trees to go around this year?

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You may want to consider getting a Christmas tree early this year, as the Christmas tree shortage is still plaguing the Lower Mainland.

After the pandemic and a series of climate catastrophes in BC in recent years, many people are looking forward to the cheeriness of the Christmas season. However, some may not experience the joy of owning a real tree this year.

Richard Davies, the owner of Oh Christmas Tree Farm in Langley, says that weather conditions have extensively impacted the availability of Christmas trees.

“The last four summers have been sweltering and dry, and it has put a lot of stress on them, especially the new baby seedlings in the ground,” says Davies. “It’s a combination of things: a little bit of climate change, a little bit of difficulty in farming as land prices increase, there’s not as much in it, and just the population increase and fewer trees in the systems.”

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He says that farmland is becoming expensive, especially for the new businesses just starting, and that the financial crisis in 2008 caused some farmers to stop growing as many trees as they did in the past, creating a downward production cycle.

According to Statistics Canada, tree importation has also added to why we see fewer real Christmas trees in homes. In 2021, Canada exported over 2.4 million trees, most of which ended up in the US.

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Davies says this has caused people to visit the tree farm much earlier each year.

“So it seems to be pushing people to get their tree early. Take a little bit more care and a little bit more water in the stand and look after it. But I do have people coming earlier and earlier every year to try to get a nice tree,” says Davies.

The flip side of a potential shortage brings us back to a reality we saw last year: higher prices.

Davies says that is just kind of the reality of supply and demand, but there are things he is doing to help alleviate the shortage.

“So we’ll be opening this weekend, which is the 18th, so a week early,” says Davies, adding that he has planted more trees than in previous years, hoping it will help quell the shortage.

When asked if there are any government initiatives to help the tree industry get back on its feet, Davies told Daily Hive that he is a part of the Christmas Tree Association and that there has been some talk of reaching out and helping new farmers with seedlings.

“It’s such a seasonal business. I don’t think it has the clout of some other industries. But if there’s enough word out there, maybe they’ll reach out and help us.”

To answer the question of whether there will be enough trees to go around this year, the answer is maybe. The earlier you get your tree, the better your chance of decorating one with your family this holiday season will be.

Suppliers like Oh Christmas Tree Farms say they are trying to address the shortages in more ways than one so that each family that wants to have a street in their home can have a happy holiday.