Your Christmas tree in Alaska might be a little pricier this year

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 5

Jesse Harris and Tony Frenzel bag a fresh Christmas tree purchased by a customer indoors at Alaska Mill & Feed on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (Bill Roth / ADN)

At Alaska Mill Feed & Garden Center in Anchorage, the perfect Christmas tree will cost a bit more this year.

Tree prices there have gone up about 15 percent since 2015, because there are fewer Christmas trees available this year in some parts of the U.S., said president Joel Klessens.

"Supply is tight, there's no question about that, and prices are up," he said. "We weren't able to get maybe all the specific sizes and the quantities, but we did get some of everything."

The industry's supply crunch in some parts of the country stems from the Great Recession, when many farmers planted fewer trees, The New York Times reported last week. That means there aren't as many available to harvest now, nearly a decade later. In Anchorage, though, it seems you'll probably be able to find a tree just fine.

"You don't want to panic, like there's no real trees in town," Klessens said. Trees this year cost his business about 20 percent more than two years ago, he said, and he's tried to mitigate that some for customers. A six- or seven-foot noble fir at Alaska Mill goes for $69.

"I think everybody, their supply has been OK, but it's been tight on certain sizes," he said.

[How to harvest your own Christmas tree in Alaska]

At Bob Smith's Christmas Trees, owner Dave Smith said some of his trees are a bit more expensive this year — about $5 on a standard tree and $10 to $15 more on some of the taller ones.

His business grows trees in Minnesota and then sells them out of a lot on Dimond Boulevard, and he said he hasn't dealt with a shortage. During the national recession, his business bought up empty land in Minnesota and planted more at a time when others were scaling back.

"We kind of went against the trend" at the time, Smith said.

Because his business grows its supply in Minnesota, he also didn't have to deal with the fallout from drought and wildfires elsewhere in the country. But a rise in freight prices are another factor to reckon with, he said.

At Bell's Nursery and Gifts, owner Mike Mosesian said that although his costs have been rising, you won't pay more for a tree there this season. He said he's simply prepared to make less money.

"I felt that with the economy being the way it is, and a lot of businesses are suffering, why raise my prices and charge people more?" he said. "Buying a Christmas tree is kind of an emotional thing, especially for a family with children."

Darryl Leiser, owner of Dimond Greenhouses, also said prices for his trees haven't gone up this year.

At Mile 5.2 Greenhouse and Gift Shop in Eagle River, you'll find a different type of tree this season, but not because of any shortage.

Dale Walberg, the owner, said he's wanted to switch from fresh-cut trees to live, potted trees for awhile now for the Christmas season and finally made the change this year. The Norfolk Island pines range from a few inches to about four feet tall, he said, and are meant to be kept long after the holiday as a houseplant.

"We figured maybe people don't want to spend $100 on a tree in a recession," Walberg said. The trees at his greenhouse are priced from $25 to $125.