Fraser Fir Christmas tree shortage!

As the GTA started to experienced last year, we are now facing another Christmas tree shortage in 2019, many growers have already been sold out of “ready to cut” stock for months and even limiting the number of trees they are able to supply to their customers. The tree that is most affected is the Fraser Fir, with its soft completion and great needle retention it is one of the most popular species of Christmas tree.

There are two main reasons for this shortage, quickly explained here:

1. The growth cycle of a Christmas tree is 8-10 years depending on size, which makes the planting date of the trees currently being harvested with that of the last recession. During this time Christmas tree sales were at a low, growers were having a hard time getting financed and some growers even quit the business. These factors contributed to a supply that has suffered, but could be manageable. Which leads us to our second reason, something that further added to the problem making it far worse.

2. With a shortage of Christmas trees caused by the recession, American suppliers and retailers began looking at where they would fill the gaps in their supply, naturally they turned to Canada, with a low Canadian dollar and sharing a border it did not take long for Canadian trees to start heading States bound creating a greater shortage.

But don’t worry! Trees On A Truck does have a supply of Fraser Firs this year, although limited compared to recent years we have a seemingly unlimited supply of Balsam Fir Trees! Balsam Fir is in the same family as a Fraser, with a stronger natural tree smell that lasts longer than a Fraser fir and a “fluffier” look with its slightly longer needle length. Placed side by side it is tough to tell the difference between the two trees!