NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: A view of a Christmas tree inside the Berggruen Prize Gala at the New York Public Library on December 14, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Berggruen Institute)
Bah Humbug! In what could turn out to be good news for the artificial Christmas tree industry, experts are predicting a shortage of real trees this year. The limited inventory is the result of factors that go all the way back to 2008, according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
Because the U.S. was in the midst of a recession, farmers planted far fewer trees that year; trees that would have grown and been sold this year. Of the trees that did get planted, thousands that were planted in Oregon and North Carolina fell victim to exceptionally hot, dry summers in 2017 and 2018.
What’s your take on chopping down a tree just to put it on display for a few weeks? Do artificial trees feel “Christmasy” enough?