'Don't wait': Local Christmas tree retailers report high sales amid nationwide shortage

Christopher Cann and Ana Goñi-Lessan, Tallahassee Democrat
·4 min read

With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, families have begun their Christmas tree search — a hunt that’s proved troublesome because of a nationwide shortage of most goods, including evergreen conifers.

And this is true for many local sellers in Tallahassee and Leon County.

Native Nurseries on Centerville Road, which gets its Fraser firs from a small farm in North Carolina, sold out of all of its trees between 6-9 feet less than a week after Thanksgiving. All that’s left are one 12-foot tree and 4-5 foot trees, according to a Wednesday Instagram post.

"Thank you to everyone for making this our quickest Christmas tree season yet," the post read.

Tallahassee Nurseries and Esposito’s Garden Center are in a similar predicament. Though not completely sold-out yet, 6-9 foot trees are expected to run out soon.

“There’s two people that are constantly rehanging trees, that’s how fast they’re selling,” said Mary Kelly, Esposito’s chief marketing officer, about the store that buys its trees directly from a grower from North Carolina. “If you’re looking for a tree, don’t wait.”

Tallahassee Nurseries' stock of 10-foot trees sold out in just four days, and 8- and 9-foot trees sold out last week, said Sal Rivelli, an operations worker at Tallahassee Nurseries, Wednesday afternoon.

The Havana Christmas Tree farm will likely sell out of its 400 Fraser firs by Sunday, said owner Linda Sellars.

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The nationwide shortage seems to stem from two main factors: Supply chain delays and weather.

In dissecting the tree shortage, the American Christmas Tree Association said weather events in the Pacific Northwest, like fires, drought and heat waves, caused Oregon farmers to report losing up to 90% of their crop in the summer months.

Furthermore, the Christmas tree supply chain is not impervious to the effects of the pandemic. The same statement by the ACTA said there will be “fewer artificial trees available for consumer purchase.”

Darnell Austin, a customer service associate at Esposito's, trims a Christmas tree trunk before standing the tree up in water Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.
Darnell Austin, a customer service associate at Esposito's, trims a Christmas tree trunk before standing the tree up in water Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.

“This is not the year to find a tree last-minute, or to wait for a retailer sale,” a statement from the ACTA read. “It’s possible that those sales won’t occur, or that when they do the inventory will be limited. Plan ahead, and buy early.”

“I usually get trees about a week before Christmas and I always end up getting Charlie Brown trees that my family makes fun of,” said Betsy Purdum, as she looked for her perfect tree.

She has company coming from London and Baltimore, Maryland, so she was thankful she made it to the store on Thomasville Road early enough to get a 7-foot tree, the tallest they had left Wednesday afternoon.

Large retail providers like The Home Depot, Walmart, Target and Lowe’s still have a wide selection of live and artificial Christmas trees available for families in their Tallahassee respective locations.

Also, the big retailers sell select trees online that can be picked up at local stores or shipped directly to homes.

Darnell Austin, a customer service associate at Esposito's, trims a Christmas tree trunk before standing the tree up in water Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.
Darnell Austin, a customer service associate at Esposito's, trims a Christmas tree trunk before standing the tree up in water Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021.

Where to buy a Christmas tree in Tallahassee:

  • Esposito’s Garden Center, 2743 Capital Circle NE, (850) 386-2114

  • Native Nurseries, 1661 Centerville Road, (850) 386-8882

  • Tallahassee Nurseries, 2911 Thomasville Road, (850) 385-2162

  • Havana Christmas Tree Farm, 2867 FL-GA Parkway, (850) 539-6524

  • The Home Depot, 1490 Capital Circle NW, (850) 350-9001

  • The Home Depot, 3200 Capital Circle NE, (850) 422-2777

  • Lowe's Home Improvement, 2121 Capitol Circle NE, (850) 386-5022

  • Lowe's Home Improvement, 5500 Commonwealth Blvd., (850) 575-1435

  • Walmart, 4400 W. Tennessee St., (850) 574-3588

  • Walmart, 4021 Lagniappe Way, (850) 656-2151

  • Walmart, 3221 N. Monroe St., (850) 562-8383

  • Target, 2120 Apalachee Parkway, (850) 671-2041

  • Target, 3700 Bradfordville Road, (850) 894-3213

  • Christmas by King, 3503 Financial Plaza off Maclay Commerce Dr.

  • Scouts BSA Troops 115 & 118 tree lot, 1700 N. Meridian Road

Are we missing any tree sellers? Send us your name, address and phone number at news@tallahassee.com and we'll add you to our list online.

Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: How a nationwide shortage of Christmas trees affects Tallahassee