Sioux Falls Vendors Warning of Possible Christmas Tree Shortage

It looks like we can now add a Christmas tree shortage to the long list of other things that are hard to find in 2021.

We all know finding things like; lumber, new automobiles, coffee, computer chips, school supplies, food, affordable homes, you name it, has been difficult. Now we can add our favorite evergreen, pine, spruce, and fir to that list.

Shocking, right?

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Local vendors are preparing the public for what will more than likely be a much smaller selection of trees on this year's Christmas tree lots.

According to a story from Dakota News Now, there are four primary reasons linked to this year's shortage. Some nurseries did not plant as many trees due to an expected decline in demand. There was a big increase in people getting real trees in 2020, and the number of droughts and wildfires over the past decade have cut into tree numbers as well.

John Ball, South Dakota State University Extension Forestry Specialist told Dakota News Now, “Christmas trees take about 8-11 years to grow. So the tree you’re buying this Christmas, somebody planned it a decade ago. So they had to anticipate what the market was going to be back then.”

This year, a number of vendors around the Sioux Falls area are being forced to look for new sources to get their trees.

One of those vendors is Baumgartner Family Christmas Trees. Kevin Baumgartner told Dakota News Now, “I have gone all the way to Canada to find some of the Christmas trees that we got.”

Even with reaching out to new sources, vendors are still encountering struggles finding a decent selection of available trees.

The tree shortage problem isn't going away anytime soon. Due to the number of droughts and wildfires over the past few years, consumers can expect to see tree shortages for several year's to come.

And here's something else that should surprise virtually no one, the price you will have to pay for your Christmas tree this year will be much higher too.

Baumgartner told Dakota News Now, he is seeing tree prices that are roughly 30% higher than normal this year.

Source: Dakota News Now