Real Christmas trees in short supply this year

Picking out a live Christmas tree is a tradition for many families, but they may find fewer trees to choose from this year.

Christmas tree farms across Iowa and the country saw an increase in demand for the trees during the pandemic, as families sought out the real trees during a couple of difficult holiday seasons.

This led some farms to oversell their trees, resulting in fewer being available this year, since it takes several years for trees to grow tall enough to be sold, according to Bob Moulds, president of the Iowa Christmas Tree Association and owner of Wapsie Pines Christmas Tree Farm in Fairbank.

“Wholesale trees that come in, which a lot of tree growers buy to bring in to supplement what they have on their farm, have been really hard to get. The supply of wholesale trees is really tight,” Moulds said. “It just seems like it's more and more popular to cut Christmas trees. And there are (fewer) farms.”

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, 22.34 million real Christmas trees were purchased in 2022, at a median cost of $80 per tree.

One of the most popular Christmas trees is a Fraser fir, which are in the shortest supply this year.

Dean Colony, who sells Christmas trees with his wife, Katie, at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, said the Fraser firs they’re selling this year came from North Carolina, while the other trees were grown in the Midwest.

Besides Fraser firs, Colony Acres has balsam firs and canaan firs for sale. The farm began selling trees Friday and usually sell out in the first two weekends.

“Everybody needs a Christmas tree, right?” Dean Colony said.

The Colonys got into the Christmas tree business a few years ago, after starting their farm as a seasonal pumpkin patch. They planted trees a few years ago but this year’s drought — along with the constant trimming and shaping needed by the trees — made it impossible to keep up, Katie Colony said.

“They take a lot more work than we’ve got time for,” she said, adding she doesn’t think any of the trees they planted will make it to market.

Moulds, of the Iowa Christmas Tree Association, said the impact of this year’s drought won’t be noticeable in this year’s trees, but he’s not so sure about the future.

“I think it's going to be years down the road, the drought is probably going to hurt, but for this year, we're fine,” he said. “Our farms are in pretty good shape here.”

Some tree farms, he said, have increased their prices this year. Most of the increases are minor and related to inflation, but the prices also reflect the extra water the trees needed this year and the shortage of tree, he said.

Picking out a tree

Alex and Kyle Geiger, of Tiffin, came to the Colony farm Friday morning to pick out a tree with their three kids, Reagan, Riley and Rowan.

The family also took the opportunity to see Santa Claus, who was visiting with kids in the barn at the farm. The barn, where patrons can buy hot chocolate and other holiday wares, is a new addition and will be hosting Santa again on Saturday.

The Geiger family has gotten trees at the Colony farm before and “were excited about the expansion” this year, Alex Geiger said, as the family waited for help loading their selected tree onto their car.

Their kids, not surprisingly, were drawn to the largest trees on the lot, but eventually settled for one that will fit in their home.

“This is the kind of stuff they’ll remember,” Kyle Geiger said. “They won’t remember pulling out a plastic tree.”

Tom and Dori Yoder bought two trees — one for their own home and one for their daughter who wasn’t able to come with them Friday.

The Yoders have several small artificial trees they’ll put up this year, but the biggest tree in the house always has to be real.

“We’ve never had an artificial one,” Dori Yoder said. “I love the smell, too.”

Katie Colony, who owns Colony Acres Family Farm with her husband Dean, restocks trees on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Dean Colony, who owns Colony Acres Family Farm with his wife Katie, restocks trees on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Matt Vest carries a 16-foot Christmas tree to a customer’s car on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Riley Geiger, 2, of Tiffin, watches on as her family selects a Christmas tree on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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Riley Geiger, 2, of Tiffin, offer to help lead Dean Colony, owner of Colony Acres Family Farm, to her family’s minivan with their new Christmas tree on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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A merry Christmas sign greets guests on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

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