Christmas trees are still in supply in Virginia, despite national shortage.
If you haven’t already purchased your Christmas tree, stop reading now and drive as fast as you can to your nearest tannenbaum purveyor—just kidding. While there are fewer available trees this year (more on this in a minute), it’s unlikely that you won’t be able to find what you need.
Here’s the deal: the recession of 2008 resulted in fewer saplings being planted. Because pines and firs take 9-10 years to mature, there are fewer mature trees available for the 2017 holiday season. What this means for consumers is not that there won’t be any trees, but that bigger, fuller trees may be more difficult to come by. In addition, more farms and sellers are having trees shipped in from out of state, and transportation costs may result in trees with a 5-10 percent higher price tag over previous years.
The bottom line? If you’re picky about your tree, shop early for a better chance of finding the perfect specimen. Be prepared for a slight markup, but be wary of potential price gouging. And if you’re more of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree sort, then just relax: this is your year.
Here’s a list of some of our favorite Christmas tree farms around the state:
Evergreen Christmas Tree Farm, Keezleville
Mill Farm Christmas Trees, Williamsburg
Moose Apple Christmas Tree Farm, Berryville
Oak Shade Farm, Rixeyville
Sweet Providence Farm, Floyd
Windy Knoll Farm, Mechanicsville
