Now that Thanksgiving is over, many families have turned their sights toward the holiday season. The odds are pretty good that there is at least one Christmas tree stand in your town. Have you ever wondered how those trees got there? Trees are grown throughout the United States and then shipped to towns across the country. Unfortunately, fewer trees are being shipped this year.
Christmas Tree Shipments in the United States
Each year, there are over 40 million Christmas trees planted in the United States. The top seven states for Christmas tree production are the following:
• Oregon
• North Carolina
• Michigan
• Wisconsin
• Washington
• New York
• Virginia
There are over 15,000 Christmas tree farms in the United States. Farm growers are responsible for 98% of Christmas tree sales. Not only does it take a good amount of logistical planning to ship these trees, but it is also important that they arrive safely. An abundant harvest of trees determines many farm growers’ livelihoods.
Many of these trees are shipped out of state or out of the country. Trees grown in the United States are shipped to Asia and Mexico. Oregon, the nation’s leading producer of Christmas trees, has 383 licensed Christmas tree growers. 90% of them ship their trees out of state.
Fewer Shipments This Year
On average, the United States sells over 24 million Christmas trees each year. There’s a reasonable chance that figure will decline this year. It’s speculated that one of the main reasons there have been fewer shipments is because the West Coast has been particularly dry the past few years. A lack of moisture and precipitation harmed many farmer’s trees.
The effects are felt across the country. For example, Richard Tajiri owns a Christmas tree distributor in Hawaii. He looks forward to his annual Christmas tree shipments to arrive. In years past, he has brought in approximately 4,700 trees. This year, he’s expected to bring in about 500 fewer.
An abundance of rain has impacted Christmas tree shipments in another way. When hurricanes swept through Texas and Florida in September, shipping containers were sent down to aid in relief efforts. Many truckers, and their shipping containers, that are typically responsible for transporting trees in the South are still helping with hurricane relief efforts. As a result, Christmas tree shipments were delayed.
Protecting Christmas Tree Shipments
With a shortage of trees, it’s important to protect shipments of healthy Christmas trees. SureTemp offers an Elite Container Blanket that can help. If a tree dries out or gets too warm, it can quickly die. SureTemp’s cargo blankets feature a unique foil layer that reflects heat to help keep trees at their ideal temperature.
With a lifespan of a decade, these cargo blankets are a small investment that can be used to protect years of Christmas tree shipments. A Christmas tree takes 12 years to grow. It would be devastating if years of hard work was lost not on a tree farm but in transit across the country.
