How climate change is impacting our Christmas trees

Christmas tree industry experts expect impacts from this year’s historic drought in several years, as farmers report losses

Following what is on track to be the hottest year on record and historic drought that’s stricken much of the U.S., concern is spreading regarding the future of the nation’s more than a billion-dollar Christmas tree industry.

Each year, tens of millions of the trees are sold during the holiday season as part of a tradition that goes back to the 1700s in the U.S. Up to 20 different tree species are grown each year, with about 14.5 million cut in 2022. Some are imported from Canada, while nearly 350 million real Christmas trees are growing on farms in all 50 states.

But, climate change-fueled temperatures and drought have resulted in losses for farmers this year, particularly in the Northeast and New England. These reports come after the industry announced a shortage ahead of Christmas 2023 that was tied to an overplanting more than a decade ago and prices rose by a significant amount.

“I know in the Northeast some growers have complained that they’ve had greater death of their seedlings that they’ve planted out than normal. Of course, you don’t expect every tree you set to survive, but some growers have lost 20 percent or more or even their entire crop,” Jill Sidebottom, of the National Christmas Tree Association, told The Independent on Monday.

Bailey Peters, his wife Katherine, and their daughter Jane, look for a Christmas Tree at Carnes Farms in Pontotoc, Mississippi last month. Christmas tree farmers are reporting losses this year after a massive drought and historic temperatures ((Adam Robison/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP))

While these losses won’t affect Americans as much this year, she said the impacts would be felt in coming years.

“Depending on what kind of tree they’re growing, that’s going to be a hole in their inventory five, seven, eight years down the road. So, it’s not so much next year, but it’s several years down the road,” she said. On average, it takes about that long for Christmas trees to reach maturity.

Drought mainly affects smaller and younger trees, and Sidebottom noted that most farms are not irrigated. The trees need at least 50 inches of rain each year, although most conifers prefer drier soils and wetter weather can cause root disease.

A drought very seldomly affects those that are ready for the market, although drought did kill some in the Pacific Northwest several years ago and some mature trees in New England have had their needles fall off and become unsellable. In 2021, a heat dome linked to climate change that killed a billion sea creatures also resulted in crop loss.

“It’s certainly not unusual to have problems with dry conditions. And, of course, people are concerned about global warming [which] can create more wet conditions because as the seas warm up, the atmosphere can hold more moisture. But, it can also create more pockets of drought. More extremes...” said Sidebottom. “And so, I think as the industry moves forward in time, there’s a lot of work at universities looking at producing trees, developing trees that are more bullet proof of extremes. And so, as the industry moves forwards, that’s a concern.”

Sam Cartner Jr., a co-owner of Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm, shows the official White House Christmas tree last month in Newland, North Carolina. Christmas trees need at least 50 inches of rain each year ((AP Photo/Erik Verduzco))

Consumers should also be aware of the climate conditions when they get their trees.

Most conifers, like pine trees, need weeks of exposure to temperatures below 40 degrees to overcome their dormant stages, when they are alive but not actively growing. Those that are actively growing when they are cut aren’t going to perform as well.

“Most trees that are commercially grown now, most firs, hold their needles really well. And, especially if we get cold weather before they’re cut. And, that certainly happened this year, for the most part, across the board,” said Sidebottom.

But, with people wanting trees earlier and earlier this year, and fall getting warmer, these patterns could be disrupted.

“That’s really kind of the worst problem with our industry now, is people wanting trees so early, shipping trees so early...” she said.