Ninety-one percent of U.S. wholesale Christmas tree growers say they don’t plan to raise wholesale prices for the 2026 season, up from 84% last year, according to the Real Christmas Tree Board’s annual grower survey. Growers report strong supply and steady demand, and most are absorbing higher input costs rather than passing them on to retailers.
Key Takeaways
- 91% of surveyed wholesale growers plan to hold or lower wholesale prices for 2026, up from 84% in 2025.
- 85% of growers rated this year’s supply as strong or very strong.
- 79% expect to sell the same number of trees or more than last year.
- In a post-season survey, 91% of 2025 real-tree buyers said the price was worth it, and 56% said they paid less than expected.
- The survey covered 47 wholesale growers who together supply about half to two-thirds of the U.S. real Christmas tree market.
91% Of Growers Plan No Wholesale Price Increase For 2026
The Real Christmas Tree Board’s fifth annual wholesale grower survey, fielded in August 2026, found that 91% of respondents don’t plan to raise wholesale prices this season. That includes some growers who may lower them. A year earlier, 84% said the same, so the share of growers holding the line has grown for a second straight season.
The survey, run with FleishmanHillard, covered 47 wholesale growers operating across the Northwest, West, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Together, they supply roughly half to two-thirds of the real Christmas trees sold in the United States. Last year’s survey covered 43 growers.
Growers Are Absorbing Higher Input Costs
Flat wholesale prices don’t mean flat costs. The Real Christmas Tree Board says input costs have kept rising year over year, but growers are largely absorbing those increases instead of passing them to retailers.
That reflects how the business works. Real Christmas trees take years to grow before harvest, so growers commit to their supply long before a given season. Holding prices steady protects relationships with the lots, garden centers and retailers that buy wholesale every year, and it keeps real trees competitive with alternatives at checkout. The tradeoff is margin. Growers absorbing cost increases for a second year are betting that stable pricing and repeat demand matter more over time than a short-term price bump.
Supply Is Strong And Demand Is Steady
The Real Christmas Tree Board’s survey points to a well-supplied season. Eighty-five percent of growers rated 2026 supply as strong or very strong, and 79% expect to sell at least as many trees as last year.
Access was not a problem for shoppers last season either. In the board’s post-season consumer survey, 91% of respondents said they had no trouble finding a place nearby to buy a tree in 2025.
What Shoppers Paid Last Season
The Real Christmas Tree Board doesn’t publish an average retail price, because retailers set what consumers pay and prices vary by location, species and size. Its consumer data instead measures how buyers felt about the price.
Among 2025 real-tree buyers, 91% said the price they paid was worth it, and 56% said it was less than they expected. That survey, conducted by TRUE Global Intelligence for the board, covered 1,500 U.S. adults aged 21 to 54 between December 26, 2025, and January 7, 2026, with a ±4.8% margin of error for respondents who bought a real tree.
Seasonal Retailers Set The Final Price
Wholesale stability matters most for the businesses between growers and households. Real trees are sold through choose-and-cut farms, seasonal lots, home improvement stores, garden centers and other local retailers. Many of them are small, seasonal operations that earn a large share of their annual revenue in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
For those retailers, a flat wholesale price gives more room to manage their own costs, such as labor, rent for lot space and delivery, without raising shelf prices. They are part of a broader holiday picture that includes small businesses expecting $118 billion in holiday spending this year while dealing with price pressure and uncertainty.
How Real And Artificial Trees Compare
Artificial trees work on a different cost structure. Most are manufactured overseas, according to U.S. Census Bureau trade data cited by the Real Christmas Tree Board, so their prices depend on import and supply chain costs rather than domestic growing seasons.
Artificial trees also hold the larger share of households. The American Christmas Tree Association estimated that 83% of households displaying a tree in 2025 chose an artificial one. For real-tree growers, steady wholesale pricing is one way to stay competitive in a market where most households already own a reusable alternative.
FAQs
Will real Christmas trees cost more in 2026?
Wholesale prices are expected to stay flat for most growers. In the Real Christmas Tree Board’s survey, 91% of wholesale growers said they don’t plan to raise prices, though final retail prices are set by each seller.
Is there a Christmas tree shortage in 2026?
No shortage is expected. 85% of surveyed growers rated 2026 supply as strong or very strong, and 79% expect to sell the same number of trees or more than last year.
Who sets the price of a real Christmas tree?
Retailers set the price consumers pay, based on their wholesale cost and their own operating expenses. Prices vary by location, species and tree size.
Where can you buy a real Christmas tree?
Real Christmas trees are sold at choose-and-cut farms, seasonal tree lots, home improvement stores, garden centers and other local retailers. In 2025, 91% of surveyed buyers said they had no trouble finding a place nearby.
