Heatwaves and droughts have decimated some Christmas tree crops, and industry groups are warning of impending shortages: 'Find and buy your Christmas tree early'

• Live Christmas trees may be in short supply this year due to the effects of climate change.
• Drought and heatwaves have decimated crops in Oregon, where the most trees are grown nationwide.
• There is also a shortage of artificial Christmas trees amid ongoing supply chain issues.

You may have a harder time than usual finding a live Christmas tree this holiday season.

Christmas-tree-growers in the Pacific Northwest have seen their crops decimated this year due to drought and heat waves. One grower, Mark Wonser, recently told The Oregonian that he estimates he's lost 90% of his Christmas tree crop this year due to extreme heat. He said he planted 13,500 trees this past May, only to see nine acres scorched in the heat.

Christmas trees typically take between eight and 12 years to reach maturity, meaning that the decimation of this year's seedlings could be felt as late as 2029 and beyond.

Jacob Hemphill, a grower based in Oregon City, Oregon, told The New York Times in July that his seedlings were wiped out by heat waves and that many of his mature trees were damaged too - he estimated the destruction could cost him upwards for $100,000.

"The second day of the heat, it was 116. I came in the driveway that night and seen the trees were basically cooking. Burnt down to nothing," Hemphill told Reuters.

Oregon is the nation's leading grower of Christmas trees, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. But the drought, and the wildfires that follow, have wreaked havoc on growers: Since 2015, the acreage growing trees decreased by 24%, and the total number of trees sold dropped 27%, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture.

But even before climate change began to take its toll on the industry, live Christmas trees had been short supply. Over-planting in the late 1990s meant that there was an oversupply of trees at the onset of the 2008 Recession. At the same time, land was becoming less affordable, and farmers impacted by the financial crisis planted fewer trees. Because of the length of time it takes a tree to grow, the industry began to see an impact starting in 2016.

And last year, as the pandemic raged throughout the winter, shoppers scrambled to buy live trees in an effort to create a festive atmosphere in their homes.

Live trees represent only a small portion of overall Christmas tree sales. While 94 million US households displayed a tree in 2020, only 15% were live, according to data from the American Christmas Tree Association, a group that represents that artificial tree industry.

But if you're thinking of purchasing an artificial tree instead, good luck: Ongoing supply chain disruptions mean that artificial trees are in short supply and prices are spiking by up to 25%.

"We hope that every person who wants a Christmas tree will find their perfect tree this year," Jami Warner, ACTA's executive director, said in a statement. "If I can give one piece of advice to consumers right now, it is to find and buy your Christmas tree early. "