Buying a Christmas tree this year? Find one ASAP and be prepared to pay more

Fewer real Christmas trees are available for sale after months of drought, extreme heat and record wildfires. And if you’re looking for a fake one, you’ll be dealing with the same supply chain issues — such as backlogs and higher prices — plaguing everything else.

Real trees are nearly twice as expensive compared to 2015, and artificial tree retailers had to increase prices by 20-30% this season, according to the Christmas Tree Association.

Sacramento Bee reporter Brianna Taylor tells Press Play that a worker at the Davis Ranch, about 30 minutes east of Sacramento, told her that he bought 200 noble fir trees for $64 each wholesale, which translates to $120 retail for customers.

She says it’s more important than ever to buy your Christmas tree early.

She points out that Oregon is the number one producer of Christmas trees, especially on the West Coast. “It takes six to 10 years for a Christmas tree to mature. … The trees in Oregon, they're then shipped far away. They're normally cut down with the chainsaw, they're wrapped, they're protected. … I have a lot of empathy for these farmers and growers. And usually a lot of them are in this business for generations at a time. I don't think it's going to be a profitable year, but it's definitely going to bring a lot of people joy, and I think that's what we need this year.”