Christmas tree vendors hit with inflation; some see price increases

It’s probably going to cost a bit more to deck the halls this year for those who prefer to set up a live Christmas tree.

The seasonal staple has fallen victim to inflation.

Christmas tree growers and vendors have noted price hikes of various levels for this season. At Habes Nursery in Leechburg, this is the first year since the covid pandemic that the nursery has sold trees again. Returning customers may notice a jump in prices.

“We’re selling 7-footers for $100 and 8-footers for $110,” said Janie Sterosky, one of the owners. “A 7-footer four years ago would’ve been, like, $63.”

For years, the nursery had grown their own trees, according to Sterosky, but after losing too much money on seedlings, they decided to buy their trees from North Carolina — and they weren’t cheap.

“(Wholesale is) much more expensive,” she said. “The one year we did have to get some from someone else, we paid a lot less; we paid actually half of what we paid this year. That was four years ago.”

Jason Wilkinson of Jason Wilkinson Nursery in Armbrust says inflation in other industries is to blame.

“Anything we grow here, the price increase has been a little over the last few years,” Wilkinson said. “They have gone up this year because everything on the planet costs more money now — fuel, fertilizer, manpower.”

Wilkinson prices his trees depending on their variety and height. Noble firs, which he gets from Oregon, are consistently more expensive because of the cost of hauling them across the country, he said.

“A 6-foot Scotch pine will not cost the same as a 6-foot Fraser fir,” he said. “We grow, we buy in — we do both. As far as the ones brought in, they’re brought in anywhere from Michigan to Indiana, Pa., and from Oregon.”

Searching for a deal

Manager Frank Gribbin of Plumline Nursery in Murrysville can tell that when customers come to his nursery looking for Christmas trees, they’re on a mission.

“Everybody is obviously saying something about the price,” Gribbin said. “Everybody seems to be looking at four or five places before they’re making a selection.”

More customers are shopping around and hunting for a good deal on a tree, he said.

Wilkinson agreed.

“A lot more people shop around these days, and that goes for whether it’s Christmas trees or a TV,” Wilkinson said.

At Plumline, pre-cut trees are a new product this year. A 5-foot cut tree goes for $49.99, 6-foot for $59.99, and an 8-foot is $99.99.

The nursery previously only sold live, balled trees, which are more expensive — currently on sale for $179.99 for a 5 1/2 foot tree that can be planted after the holidays.

“Growing wasn’t a problem, and availability wasn’t a huge problem. It’s just the cost of everything seems to be up, like everything else,” said Gribbin, who noted some trees are about $20 more expensive this year than last.

The nursery had to pay more to get the trees from their supplier in State College this year.

“The bigger the tree, the more expensive you’re obviously going to pay. It’s just more material,” he said, noting that for a grower, trees are a long-term investment that takes a minimum of six to eight years to finish.

“The more years you put into them, the more years you water them, the more you expect to get out of that tree,” he said. “You put them in the ground, you’ve got to wait some time before that pays off, so I get it.”

At Ridillas Nursery in Unity, owner Mike Ridilla says that while some people occasionally leave when they’re not satisfied with the price, others are set on finding the specific tree they want.

“I have had people tell me, ‘I don’t care what you do about my presents, but I’m not cutting any slack on my tree,’” he said.

Ridilla, however, said he hasn’t seen inflation as a huge obstacle this year. He kept his prices the same — $50 for any choose-and-cut — and his wholesale supplier for pre-cut trees kept his prices stable, too.

“I had a bigger jump (in prices) last year, which I didn’t like,” Ridilla said. “I didn’t want it to jump two years in a row.”

Industry perspectives

Jill Sidebottom, spokesperson for the National Christmas Tree Association, said inflation is an issue this year, but not as bad as in previous years.

“Some growers were saying they might increase their prices, others were saying they would stay the same,” she said. “Last year, inflation really hit everybody hard, and even things like fertilizer prices were very high. They kind of mimic or are affected by fuel prices.”

A survey conducted by the association found that in 2022, out of a 2,000-person sample, respondents paid a median price of $80 for their tree.

“I think most people saw an increase at the retail level in real tree prices last year, because of the increased wholesale prices,” Sidebottom said. “A lot of people we’ve heard are trying to keep their prices the same this year, or nearly the same, but there are some increases still.”

Weather, the price of land, labor, insurance, fuel, equipment and fertilizer all contribute to a grower’s expense, she said.

Gregg Van Horn, president of the Indiana County Christmas Tree Growers Association, hasn’t seen as much rise in tree prices in Indiana County.

“Inflation hits everything, but I don’t think the trees really went up more than they were last year. It’s pretty much the same price,” he said. “There isn’t really anything inflation-wise that really affected the trees this year, other than the cost of living, period.”

At Mytrysak Family Tree Farm, co-owner Stacey Mytrysak says the farm steadily raises its prices by only a few dollars each year. A 6-foot tree is $67, a 7-foot is $77, and an 8-foot is $87.

She’s noticed other farms that don’t regularly increase their prices have had to make a bigger financial leap this season.

“I’m thinking in the past, they never raised (prices) correctly each year,” she said. “All of a sudden, they have to jump.”