Canadian Christmas trees are more expensive this year for a reason you wouldn’t expect: the 2007-2008 financial crisis. With the economy in such a mess at that time, farmers couldn’t afford to plant as many new trees, and since Christmas trees take around 15 years to grow to full height (6-7 feet), we’re only fully seeing the ramifications of the crisis today.
According to tree farmers and the Canadian Christmas Tree Association, today's shortage is due to several other factors as well:
- Inflation has caused higher costs for labor, seeds, fertilizer and fuel for the farms’ machinery and trucks for transportation
- Canada has 20,000 fewer acres of land growing Christmas trees relative to 10 years ago
- Higher demand for real Christmas trees with fewer being planted
- Climate change has caused extreme weather, which takes a toll on crops
According to the Canadian Christmas Tree Association, prices for Christmas trees in 2022 were up about 10% relative to 2021. And with the stock market and cryptocurrency markets significantly down, these higher prices are coming at the wrong time for Canadians.
Here are some more numbers on Christmas trees in Canada:
Domestic Exports by Province (2023)
Source: Statistics Canada – Domestic exports (HS 0604.20.10) by province (The world — October 2022)
The top provincial exporters of Christmas trees in Canada are Quebec, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, while Canada's top trade partners are the United States, Venezuela, the United Arab Emirates, Panama, Aruba, Saint Martin, and Curaçao.
The U.S. is Canada’s largest export destination, receiving 73% of our exported trees.
Source: Statistics Canada – Top 10 trade partners (HS 0604.20.10) Canada — October 2022
The five top-selling Christmas trees across Canada are the Balsam Fir, Scots Pine, Fraser Fir, Nordmann Fir, and Douglas Fir.
Here are the average price range of fresh-cut Christmas Trees across Canada:
Fresh Cut Balsam Fir Christmas Trees
| Tree Height | Price |
| 2.5 ft – 3 ft | Starts from $26 |
| 5 ft – 6 ft | Starts from $34 |
| 6 ft – 8 ft | Starts from $59 |
| 8 ft – 9 ft | Starts from $69 |
| 6 ft (Premium) | Starts from $150 |
| 7 ft (Premium) | Starts from $175 |
| 8 ft (Premium) | Starts from $200 |
| 9 ft (Premium) | Starts from $225 |
Fresh Cut Fraser Fir Christmas Trees
| Tree Height | Price |
| 5 to 6 ft | Starts from $79 |
| 6 to 7 ft | Starts from $99 |
| 7 to 8 ft | Starts from $139 |
| 8 to 9 ft | Starts from $169 |
| 9 to 10 ft | Starts from $239 |
| 10 to 12 ft | Starts from $349 |
| 12 ft -14 ft | Starts from $499 |
Fresh Cut Scots Pine
| Tree Height | Price |
| 5 ft – 7 ft | Starts from $79 |
Blue Spruce, White Spruce & Norway Spruce
| Tree Height | Price |
| 10 ft – 12 ft | Starts from $295 |
| 12 ft – 14 ft | Starts from $395 |
| 14 ft -16 ft | Starts from $595 |
Related: Shipping fresh-cut Christmas trees can be expensive. Make sure you get the best prices on shipping from Canada to other countries.
