Christmas Trees Might Be Pricier This Year, But Growers Say High Supply Will Stave Off Big Hikes

Inflation is making it more expensive to grow Christmas trees, with costs for things like labor and fertilizer rising. But Ryan Clouse, president of the Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association, said a larger supply than usual will likely hedge against steep price hikes.

“The input costs have gone up, but I think a lot of what the big growers are doing is just trying to make sure they can market their trees,” he said.

Fewer Christmas trees were harvested and planted during the 2008 recession, which led to a shortage for the better part of a decade. Growers planted more to close the gap, but it takes seven to ten years for those trees to be ready to sell. Now, growers have trees they need to move.

Competition can keep costs low, or it can raise prices, Clouse said.

If an area has many tree lots, growers may keep prices lower to sell more trees. In another scenario, if a grower charges $50, but another grower down the street is charging $100, the first grower may decide they can charge a bit more and still stay competitive, Clouse said.

Heath Boomer is one of the few Christmas tree growers in Virginia Beach. He said he is charging $15 per foot for Christmas trees this year, which is the same as the last few years. (Photo by Toby Cox/WHRO)

“There’s a lot of factors that go into the pricing, but I’d say this year is probably going to be a little higher than the past years,” he said.

In Hampton roads, consumers may be able to keep costs down by buying a locally grown Christmas tree.

“We haven’t gone up in two years,” said Heath Boomer of Boomer Family Christmas Tree Farm in Virginia Beach. “We’re doing $15 a foot, and nothing lower than five feet.”

George and Lisette Piccillo of Back Bay Christmas Trees in Virginia Beach said they’re also charging $15 a foot. Michael Bedell, a newer grower across the border on Knotts Island, N.C., said he’ll charge the same.

Boomer said he’s able to keep prices low by saving on labor costs.

“It’s me, it’s my wife, it’s my two girls,” he said. “We’re the ones that work it out here.”

Coastal Christmas trees

Growing Christmas trees in Hampton Roads is not a common venture. Only two species can thrive in the region’s sandy, hot and salty climate: Virginia pine and white pine.

Both trees have longer needles compared to mountain-grown species to deal better with heat, said George Piccillo.

And both trees have their perks, Boomer said.

White pines have a blueish tint and are fluffy, which is perfect for hiding lights, Boomer said. But they can’t hold heavy ornaments as well as Virginia pine’s stronger branches.

Virginia pines are yellow-green in hue and grow more quickly than white pines, which can make them more difficult to maintain.

Boomer said he has to prune Virginia pines twice a year, otherwise they’ll get “a little squirrely.

Lisette and George Piccillo own Back Bay Christmas Trees in Pungo. They started planting trees in 2017. (Photo By Toby Cox/WHRO)

And in what Boomer calls a funny coincidence, all of the region’s Christmas tree growers are connected to local schools. Boomer teaches history at Ocean Lakes High School. The Piccillos are retired schoolteachers and spent their entire careers in the area. Bedell started growing Christmas trees when he was a social studies teacher and is now assistant principal at Kellam High School.

The academic calendar complements the Christmas tree maintenance calendar, Bedell said.

“It’s nice, if you are in education, because you have your summers off,” he said, adding that pruning happens in June and July, and it takes at least an entire week from sunup to sundown.

All three of the local farms have trees ranging in size, from baby seedlings to taller mature ones. Christmas trees have to be at least 5 feet before they’re cut and sold, Boomer said.

It takes white pines and Virginia pines five to seven years to reach 6 feet. In that time, the trees may endure winds, heavy rains, drought, heat, pests and disease.

Overall, this year’s growing season along the coast was a good one, Boomer said, noting summer wasn’t too hot and the trees got plenty of water.

Not all growers in the state can say the same. Those along the Shenandoah Valley dealt with water issues in 2025 — either too much or too little, said Clouse, who owns Clouse’s Pine Hill Farm in Winchester County.

“We experienced record rain in May, June, middle of July, and then the spigot shut off,” he said.

Drought is especially hard on seedlings, Clouse said, and flooding can suffocate the roots.

Fraser firs are a popular type of tree often called the “Cadillac” of Christmas trees. Excess water makes these mountain-grown trees susceptible to root rot, he said. It’s caused by a pathogen called Phytophthora, which is contagious and can spread to other fir trees.

“You can transfer that on your pruner,” he said. “You can transfer it on your wheels, on your tractors, so there’s just any number of ways that you can acquire that.”

Once the pathogen is present, it can only be managed, Clouse said.

Virginia’s coastal Christmas tree growers have a different set of issues to deal with, Boomer said.

“One thing we deal with, being so close to the ocean, is a thing called salt spray,” Boomer said. “That’s the scariest thing is those northern winds, and the salt comes off the water, and it can burn the northeast side of trees.”

The redheaded pine sawfly eats Virginia pine needles as a caterpillar and can cause substantial damage. Poor drainage from the region’s sandy soil can drown trees.

Another challenge is demand, Boomer said.

“Christmas is moving up,” he said. “Everybody wants a tree sooner and sooner.”

But once a tree is cut, its time is limited, Boomer said.

His tips for making a Christmas tree stay green long into January?

Wait until after Thanksgiving, cut it fresh and put it in water immediately, he said.

By Toby Cox/WHRO

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