As the big day approaches, some Brits are not getting into the festive spirit as shortages of Christmas trees can leave some people paying three-figure sums for their trees
Bah humbug! Britain faces a Christmas tree shortage after freak spring and summer weather wrecked trees – sending 7ft pine prices soaring to £100.
Families could miss out on real Christmas trees after rare May frosts damaged festive forests in Denmark, the biggest supplier to the UK. Some home-grown trees were also killed off or stunted by the hottest summer on record.
And EU red tape is cutting the number of trees being imported to the UK, leaving eight million households scrambling for pines. Trade magazine HortWeek said: “Spring frost, the summer heatwave and long-term climatic pressure is leading to a tighter supply of Christmas trees this year. Prices are set to rise amid supply shortages.”
Kasper Graven, director of grower Kortegaard, based in Denmark and the UK, said: “There are a lot fewer Christmas trees available in the market in general, from the continent and also Scotland.” British growers blamed the drought and scorching summer for a lack of popular 6ft and 7ft pines and firs.
Farmer Joe Hoyes, of Town Gate Farm near Grimsby, North-East Lincs, said: “The lack of rainfall has led to shorter trees. There are fewer 6ft and 7ft ones.”
British Christmas Tree Growers Association vice-chairman Oliver Combe, who farms near York, said: “This year has been exceptionally dry, certainly in the East. We had no appreciable rain from Easter until mid-July, which is when trees put on their maximum growth; we are getting restricted growth.”
Expensive EU import paperwork and tree inspections introduced last year has also cut imports from Europe. Experts at Pick Your Own Christmas Tree said: “Demand for trees will likely be very high, but global supply chain issues may reduce supplies of imported trees.
“Expect prices to be up about 20 per cent.” The tree shortage, plus increased wages and transport costs, are pushing up prices.
Pines And Needles, London’s biggest specialist tree seller with 40 sites across the capital, is charging £79 for a 6ft Nordmann pine or Fraser fir, or £100 for a 7ft one. Noble firs are more, at £85 for 6ft and £110 for 7ft. There are fears the lack of trees and prices mean some of the eight million UK households which buy real trees could be forced to join the 10 million homes who use artificial ones.
Gardening Express expert Chris Bonnett said: “Buyers should act early or could be disappointed. Demand is outstripping supply.
“We’re seeing a shortage in supply of quality Christmas trees this year, due to late frosts and then heatwaves, which stunted the growth of trees. Growers are also facing higher transport and labour costs, and passing this on to consumers; prices are creeping up, no matter where your tree is from.”
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