There’s a tight supply of tannenbaums this holiday season. That means some shoppers will be paying more or searching longer for that perfect Christmas tree. But industry officials say there’s no cause for panic buying. The tight market is rooted in an oversupply followed by the Great Recession that caused many growers to leave the business. Now the supply is tight. Tim O’Connor from the National Christmas Tree Association says most people will find what they want, but prices could be a bit higher than last year’s average retail price of about $75. All told, the association says U.S. consumers are expected to buy about 27 million live trees. That’s roughly the same as the last two years.
