If you’ve found yourself reaching for the ornaments and garland earlier than usual this year, you’re not alone: being stuck inside our homes thanks to the pandemic has prompted many people to get a jumpstart on their holiday decorating. And if your plans to deck your halls involve a live fir/Christmas tree, and you haven’t gotten one already, you might want to add that to your weekend agenda. Here’s why now is the best time to buy a live Christmas tree this season.
What’s going on with the 2020 Christmas tree supply?
As it turns out, there have been rumors galore when it comes to this year’s Christmas tree supply. The main one floating around is that on top of everything else, 2020 has also brought on a Christmas tree shortage. But fear not, oh festive ones: Thrillist spoke with Doug Hundley of the National Christmas Tree Association and got the scoop—and it’s not all bad news.
For starters, people have expressed concern regarding the many wildfires in the western states this year, and how they might impact their ability to get a Christmas tree (that’s hopefully in addition to making sure people weren’t killed or injured). But Hundley says that few Christmas tree farms were affected by the wildfires.
There are also rumors that farmers started planting fewer fir trees between 2005 and 2015, because in the 1990s and early 2000s, they planted too many. Hundley tells Thrillist that these growing patterns are true, but that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage this year: “Now the tree supply is well-balanced with the demand, and we don’t have an excess anymore.”
Finally, Hundley confirmed that people have been more interested in live Christmas trees this year and have started seeking them out earlier than normal. So if you usually shop for one on December 15th, for example, the selection this year on that date may be more limited than on the same day in previous years.
Get your live tree now
According to Hundley, between 75-90% of live Christmas trees are purchased on the two weekends after Thanksgiving—and that’s on any typical non-pandemic year. So between that, and the fact that people brought these trees into their homes a little early, now is the best time to buy a live Christmas tree.