Your Christmas tree will cost more this year. Where you can buy one and for how much
While live and artificial Christmas tree shortages aren’t expected this year, certain types of trees might be harder to find, according to industry experts. You should also plan to pay more for a tree this year.
More than 71% of wholesale growers surveyed in August said they expected to raise the prices they charge retailers by 5% to 15% compared to last year, with some saying they expected to see increases as high as 20%, according to the survey by an industry group.
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An artificial Christmas trees is an option, especially now that some stores might have extra inventory from last year, when supply chain problems made it difficult to get shipments on time. You might even find some good deals ahead of the holidays.
Last year, a consumer survey by the National Christmas Tree Association found that the median retail price for a real fir, pine or spruce tree was $69.50 while the median price for an artificial tree was $70, according to MarketWatch.
So, how much will a live or artificial tree cost you this year in Florida? Here’s a guide to the Christmas-tree buying season, which starts just as you are heating up your Thanksgiving leftovers.
Will there be a Christmas tree shortage?
Tree shortages aren’t expected this year. However, shoppers might find fewer live trees on farms or tree lots due to “drought and wildfires from previous years, combined with the drought conditions this year,” according to the American Christmas Tree Association.
Smaller retailers also ordered fewer supplies for the holidays due to “inflation, supply chain disruptions, fears of recession and losses from previous pandemic-affected years,” according to the association.
This means that “while there may be enough trees to go around, the options may be more limited,” said Jami Warner, the association’s executive director. “Our 2022 recommendation to consumers is straightforward: If you want a specific type, style, or size of tree, artificial or live, find it early,”
That said, you don’t have to buy the first tree you see. You can shop around.
“Remember that no one story is the whole story. It has always been the case that this retailer may sell out earlier than that retailer, but neither one provides a complete picture,” said Marsha Gray, executive director of the Real Christmas Tree Board. “The real Christmas tree industry is bigger than any one farm, retailer, or region — and we’ve never run out of trees.”
In Florida, while there are tree farms that grow a variety of cedar, cypress and pine trees that can be used for Christmas trees, many of the state’s traditional Christmas trees, like the Fraser fir, come from other states, including North Carolina.
If you’re looking for deals, it’s worth noting that all northern grown Christmas trees have been “harvested at this point, so delaying your purchase will not necessarily mean getting a fresher tree,” said Jodi Utsman, who goes by the title of Chief Elf for Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest, a tree farm in Central Florida. “Pay attention to the way your tree provider stores and displays the trees to assure a tree that will last longer. On our farm, we store trees in the shade or in a refrigerated building. We give the trees a fresh cut and place them in stands with water to display.”
And while big box retailers might have more options, the tree quality is lower, said Utsman.
Here are some of the places you can get a live or artificial tree in South Florida:
South Florida Christmas tree lots
Santa’s Garden Christmas Trees
You may not have to drive far to buy a Christmas tree. In fact, a Christmas tree lot may be closer than you think.
With eight establishments across Miami-Dade — from Kendall to Little Havana — Santa’s Garden Christmas Trees may be the best option for your family. All their tents open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Don’t have a vehicle or time to pick up the tree? No problem. You can buy a tree on the company’s website, have it delivered and installed (Christmas lights included).
Santa’s Garden is stocked with trees ranging from 5 to 14 feet and priced between $85 and $1,750. The delivery fee starts at $50 and its installation fee at $350.
For location addresses and contact numbers, visit santasgardenfl.net.
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade
Buy a tree and do some good, too. The Christmas tree lot is now officially open at the Hank Kline Club, 2805 SW 32nd Ave., seven days a week, until trees are sold out.
The Fraser firs were hand-selected by President Alex Rodriguez-Roig in North Carolina and are 5-14 feet tall. Starting price is $65. Poinsettias are also available starting at $15.
Shoppers at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade can also help area young people. Proceeds from tree sales and Sponsor-A-Child will benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Miami-Dade’s programs.
Go to bgcmia.org for more information.
Hart-T-Trees Farms
If you live in Broward or Palm Beach counties or want to take a drive, we’ve got you covered.
Hart-T-Trees Farms operates a dozen locations — from Hollywood to Boynton Beach — open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Its tents are stocked with Christmas trees ranging from 3 to 15 feet, tree stands, wreaths and ornaments. Tree prices weren’t made available. Staff can also help you tie down your tree to your vehicle.
For location addresses and contact numbers, visit hartttreefarms.com.
Flamingo Road Nursery Farmers Market and Garden Center
Do you want to turn picking up a Christmas tree into a family experience? Then maybe Flamingo Road Nursery Farmers Market and Garden Center is the place to be.
Located at 1655 S. Flamingo Rd. in Davie, in Broward County, the nursery says you can shop in comfort, enjoy a smoothie, paint a coconut, and get family photos at numerous holiday displays throughout the 10-acre garden center. It opens every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Flamingo Road Nursery is stocked with Christmas trees ranging from 6 feet to 11 feet and priced between $99.99 and $399.99. It also sells three-feet-tall “table top” Christmas trees for $34.99.
For more information, visit flamingoroadnursery.com.
Firefighters Christmas Trees
If you live in the Coral Gables area, Firefighters Christmas Trees — located at 5501 Granada Blvd. — is an option.
The decades-old, firefighter-operated business is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Fridays from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Its tent is stocked with Christmas trees ranging from 5 to 10 feet, wreaths and colorful poinsettias. Trees sell for $175 to around $325.
For more information, visit firefighterschristmastrees.com.
Jack’s Christmas Trees
If you live near Zoo Miami or Miami Gardens, Jack’s Christmas Trees could be your best bet. Located at 13775 SW 184th St. and 17701 NW 57th Ave., these tents are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
According to its website, they usually have trees from 6 to 11 feet but they could have them as small as 5 feet and as tall as 14 feet. Trees of 6 to 7 feet tall are going for around $80 to $100 and those 7 feet to 8 feet cost approximately $100 to $120.
Workers can install your used tree stand and safely tie your tree to your vehicle. New tree stands are also sold at both locations.
For more information, visit miamichristmastrees.com.
How to find a Christmas tree farm
If you’re planning to spend the holidays with family in another part of Florida or in another state and are hoping to go tree shopping together, there’s an easy way to find a lot or tree farm near you.
The National Christmas Tree Association, which supplies the Christmas tree to the White House and represents more than 700 state farms in the Christmas tree industry, has an online map listing tree farms and lots across the country. You can even filter results to search for “choose and cut” farms, pre-cut trees and places that offer hayrides, sleigh rides, petting zoos and Santa visits too.
Keep in mind that not every lot or farm might be on this map, but it’s a good starting point for your live tree shopping experience.
Retail Store Christmas Trees
Some stores also sell live and artificial Christmas trees. You can browse online to get an idea of how much you’ll have to spend.
Prices vary depending on several factors, including what type of tree it is, how tall it is and if it’s pre-lit. Trees that are 6 to 7.5 feet are popular sizes. However, make sure to measure the ceiling height and and the width of the area of the room where the tree will be displayed before buying one. And make sure your tree-topper will fit, too.
Here are some examples of how much your tree might cost:
Home Depot
Home Depot sells a variety of live trees and also some artificial ones. You can filter results in its Christmas tree guide by tree height, price, tree shape, color and other features, like whether the tree is pre-lit or not.
If you look at the Top Sellers tab, there’s a 5.5-7 foot live Fraser Fir tree that is going for $49.98. A 6-7 foot live Fraser Fir tree costs $69.98. Other options for trees 6 feet up to 7.5 feet range between $119-$199.
For artificial trees, we found a 6.5-foot pine Christmas tree on sale for $49.88 and a 7.5-foot pine white Christmas tree on sale for $108.69. Other options for artificial trees 6 feet up to 7.5 feet could cost up to $100-$299.
Keep in mind that Home Depot has more expensive live and artificial tree options available too. For live trees, the most expensive is a 9-foot Balsam Fir tree for $345. For artificial trees, the most expensive is a 16-foot pre-lit Douglas Fir tree. The price is over $6,000.
Lowe’s
Like other retailers, Lowe’s lets you filter live and artificial Christmas tree results by tree type and height. You can also filter by recommended garland length, mini lights and ornament count.
From the Bestsellers tab, the cheapest 5-6 foot live tree we found is a Scotch Pine for $74.99 and a 6-7 foot Fraser Fir for $69.98. A 7-8 foot Fraser Fir is available at $79.98. However, these particular trees can only be bought in store. Other available trees, 6 feet up to 8 feet, can cost up to $269.
For artificial trees, there’s a 6-foot green pine tree on the Bestseller list for $58.48 and another 6-foot tree that’s on sale for $69.59. A 7-foot pine white tree costs $96.48 and a 6-foot white pine tree is available for $80.98.
Keep in mind that Lowe’s has more expensive live and artificial tree options available, too. The most expensive live tree is a 6-7 foot Noble Fir for $289. For artificial trees, some cost more than $1,000. One 7.5-foot Douglas Fir pre-lit tree even costs more than $6,000.
Publix
Publix offers North Carolina-grown Fraser firs and almost all of its trees come from Happy Holidays Christmas Trees, a Midwest company with farms all over the country. The trees range in size from 3 to 12 feet. Prices run from $32.99-$179.99.
A 6-7 foot tree is expected to cost $59.99 and a 7-8 foot tree would be $69.99, according to the Lakeland-based supermarket.
Check with your store for availability.
Artificial Christmas Trees
Walmart
If you’re looking for an artificial Christmas tree, Walmart has a variety of options available for under $100, including some that are pre-lit.
We found an artificial 6-foot pine green tree for $29, for example, and a 7-foot tree on sale for $42.99. Keep in mind that some of the trees are only available online. And of course, like other stores, the big box retailer has more expensive options, too, including some that cost thousands of dollars.
However, if what you’re looking for is a live tree, look elsewhere.
Target
Target has a variety of artificial Christmas trees. One of the cheapest trees we found online was a 6-foot slim Alberta spruce tree and a similar 6-foot pre-lit tree on sale for $30 and a 7-foot unlit Linden Spruce tree for $84.99. Other trees cost between $100-200, though the store also sells more expensive options.
Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby has a wide variety of Christmas decorations, including artificial Christmas trees. You can filter trees by height, shape and whether it comes with lights or not. And a lot of them are on sale right now.
From the website’s Most Popular of All Time tab, we found a 6-foot alpine pre-lit tree on sale for $59.99 and a 7.5 feet Balsam Fir pre-lit tree on sale for $199.99. Regular sale price for the Balsam Fir is $499.
Amazon
Tall. Short. With Lights. Green, white, purple. Whichever type of artificial tree you’re looking for, Amazon probably has it. The company is also offering free shipping to all customers, even if you’re not a Prime member, on orders over $25 that are shipped by Amazon.
In the Featured tab, some of the cheaper 6-foot artificial Christmas trees we found were between $40 and $50 and for 7-foot trees, some of the cheaper options were between $60 and $100. There are more expensive trees also available on Amazon.
This story was originally published November 23, 2022 at 2:28 PM.
